Memories of the Past
by mayawrites95
Summary: After tragedy strikes, Hermione finds out a secret about her past, changing everything she knew as truth. Enter Draco Malfoy who is brought in by the Minister of Magic on a case as a crisis dangles over their heads. However little does she know that Draco holds his own secrets which could change her life in ways she never knew were possible.
1. The Beginning

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter in any way or form. This story however is my own, along with a few liberties I've taken in changing a few past events, and elaborating on a few which the canon does not touch on.

 **A/N:** And now that is out of the way: I'm back! It's been a long few months since I wrote Dramione, and I missed it severely. I've spent the last little while planning out this story, and while there are still a few kinks that need to be sorted out, I can't wait for you guys to read this fic!

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

She got the letter on a Wednesday.

It had been an ordinary day; like every other one for the past few months. She had woken up that morning, and gotten ready for work as she did every other morning.

Her routine had pretty much become set in stone after completing her seventh year at Hogwarts. After she graduated, she had found herself lacking in money, after spending so much trying to stay afloat during the war, and getting through her final year at school. She couldn't exactly rely on her parents after she oblivated them and sent them off to Australia; not when they didn't even remember she existed. She had known when she cast the spell that reversal would be tricky, especially when she all but created new identities for them.

Sirius and Harry had been there for her after it, insisting she move in with the pair of them. Sirius, despite being a free man, still lived at his family home. Harry had chosen to stay with his Godfather, and Hermione supposed it was because Sirius was the closest Harry had ever felt to having a father; or at least one who knew his parents and would often talk about their years growing up. And with Remus over half the time with Teddy, the house was always filled with energy.

She enjoyed staying with them both despite the childish antics of Harry and Sirius at times. While she loved the Burrow like it was her second home, she couldn't stay there full time. Not when Molly constantly asked her questions about her and Ron's relationship, or lack of.

She knew Molly loved her and Harry like they were her own, and pairing them up with her two youngest were one way to certainly integrate them into the family. But while Ginny and Harry clicked, Hermione and Ron just didn't. They didn't see eye to eye on the majority of things, and when they were together, they fought the entire time. And it had almost cost them their friendship. So they had sat down one day and decided that they weren't going to work out in the long run.

Unfortunately for her, while her friends and the others were supportive, Molly was less than pleased by the turn of events.

She loved her friends dearly, but it didn't change the fact that they weren't her parents. They weren't the ones who raised her, and loved her. They weren't the ones who were there for all her milestones and kissed every scrape, or read to her every night. They weren't the ones who converted their spare room into a library when her book collection grew too large. They weren't the ones who tried their hardest to understand her life as a witch, and who despite not always knowing what she may have been talking about, supported her choices and listened to her rambles about things that she enjoyed learning.

She loved them, but she missed her parents severely.

She hadn't even had contact with her parents for over three years when she got the letter.

Despite sometimes checking in with them by watching from afar, she hadn't talked to her parents in any of her visits.

From what she could tell, they were doing okay. Despite new identities, they still found themselves in the field of dentistry. They had opened their own practice in Sydney, and despite the initial struggle, they were slowly making their way to the top.

She supposed there were just some things that magic couldn't erase.

Even if part of her wished that she could have been one of the things they remembered.

She supposed it was the price she had to pay for all of it. Wars often took their toll on people. Harry lost both his parents, Ron lost his brother, and she her parents. No one made it out of it unscathed.

The world was still hurting, but every day she could see them putting the pieces back together, one by one, and recovering.

The first few months had been the worst; Death Eaters were still on the loose, and some still believed that Voldemort would once again be resurrected. He had come back once before, so why not again? And in truth, there were several wizards and witches who feared the same. Many had refused to step foot into public, and businesses remained close for months after.

But slowly they were healing.

Reopening Hogwarts had helped in that aspect. It had taken the entirety of the four months after the war to fix the school up to prepare for the September 1st opening, but many of the population had come together to help repair the school, and in doing so, repair the relationships between the members of society. Bonds of social class and blood status were slowly being wiped away, despite some still believing in the old ways of the world.

Not many from her year had chosen to return back to school. Harry and Ron had practically joined the Aurors right after the war, despite her attempts to convince them that their education was more important and the Auror Department could wait until after they completed their seventh year. Unfortunately for her, many had shared that sentiment. While certain jobs still required NEWT scores, due to the damage to the wizarding world, many jobs were desperate to fill positions, and had chosen to forgo their usual hiring procedure.

Kingsley had been sworn in as emergency Minister of Magic, but by the time for the vote for the new Minister by the Wizengamot, they had found that Kingsley, in his four months of Minister, had done a better job than the last three Ministers before him. He had already implemented regulations to catch several dark wizards, but ensure that none of them were persecuted without a fair trial, like Sirius had been. And in addition to this, he was repairing relationships with other countries that Voldemort had all but destroyed.

Harry had been there for her the most after the war had ended. The Weasleys had bonded together over the death of Fred, but she and Harry had grown closer as they each felt the loss of their friends.

It didn't stop her from wishing she could hold her parents one last time.

It was a Wednesday when she got the letter from the Australian Ministry of Magic. As a favour for her which Kinsley had arranged, her parents were minimally monitored and reports were sent to her every several months.

She had sent them away to ensure they lived through the war, and that her involvement didn't get them killed. She sent them away for their safety so a group of Death Eaters didn't target them and punish them just to get to her. She sent them away so they would be **_safe_** _._

Yet they had died in a car accident. Her father had swerved on a wet road, and hit a tree, causing instant death to both her parents.

She sent her parents to Australia to ensure they lived, but they died anyway, despite her attempts to keep them safe.

It wasn't fair.

She knew she had lost them years ago when she oblivated them, but despite them not remembering her, at least they were alive. At least they had a life together, and were safe from the horrors of the war. At least they had been safe.

She tried to keep them safe, and she failed them both.

And so she found herself back in her childhood home, sitting on the floor of her parents' bedroom and going through a box full of things in their closet.

She hadn't been back home since that day when she erased their memories. Even though they did not live at home any more, she had placed the house under a Fidelius charm to ensure that Death Eaters.

She knew she probably looked like a mess, with the tears streaming down her face, as she currently was flipping through loose pictures she had found. She probably should have brought one of her friends with her, but it was something she had needed to do alone.

Her parents had looked so happy in each of the pictures. She could tell they were young in them, and it had probably been just before she had been born, judging by their age. She laughed through tears at some of the goofier pictures, cried as she got to those in which her parents were holding her or in those where she had fulfilled some sort of milestone, such as walking, riding a bike, or losing her first tooth.

She missed them so much.

As she finished looking through the pictures, she placed them on the floor beside her. She picked the shoebox back up as she saw an envelope in the box, addressed to her.

She frowned as she saw it; the writing was neat, however she couldn't recognize it as belonging to either of her parents. It looked old, and she wondered about what could be inside.

Hermione stood up, as she made her way to the window to see if the light would be enough to help her see through the envelope. As she held it up, she let out a displeased noise at her method failing. She cast a few spells on the envelope to see if it would reveal the contents.

Unfortunately for her, it seemed as if a blocking spell had been cast, making her unable to see what was inside. Meaning there was only one way left for her to find out.

Hermione hesitated. There was a chance it could be a trap; set waiting for her curiosity to get the best of her, and for her to open it despite the risks.

But at the same time, it was in her parents' house. It couldn't have gotten there if her parents didn't know about it.

However there was no denying the fact that magic was present in the envelope. How had her parents gotten a hold of it?

There was so much she wished she could have asked her parents. It was unfair for this to be happening to her.

Hermione sighed, knowing she only had one choice. There was no way for certain for to know what would happen when she opened the envelope, but she needed to know what was inside.

She turned it around as she gingerly opened the letter and emptied the contents into her palm.

A key fell into her hand, followed a scrap of paper with an address scribbled on it in a hurry.

 _1323 Bradewell Street_

She stared at the paper in wonder. There was no 1323 Bradewell Street. She lived at 1321 and she knew her neighbour was 1325, but there was no house in between.

But the more she thought about it, the stranger it was. Why _wasn't_ there a house in between? The rest of the street was numbered with alternating numbers, not every four. There even was a 1322, and a 1324 Bradewell. So why wasn't there a 1323?

And better yet, why did no one question it ever? Why didn't she question it ever?

The answer came clearly to her all at once. The Fidelius charm. Capable of making sure no one ever questioned missing properties, or thinking anything was out of the ordinary.

Placing the key in her pocket, she raced down the stairs, and out the door. Hermione turned in the direction of where the house should have been and felt her heart stop beating as she saw it, as clear as day.

1323 Bradewell Street.

She hesitated. A large part of her wanted to rush to the door and open it; revealing whatever secrets it may have hidden, but she was scared. What if she didn't like what she found? What if it revealed some secret, lost to time? What if she found out something which changed her life forever?

It would have been vain to say that it was all about her, but it wasn't. The envelope was left at her parents' house, and was addressed for her. Whomever owned the house wanted _her_ to find it.

Why hadn't her parents told her about it? Had they known all this time that there was a house beside theirs? They must have, to have been keeping the envelope safe for her.

Or hiding it from her.

A sudden realization had hit Hermione at that.

Her parents must have known someone who was a witch or wizard, regardless of whether they knew the person had magical abilities.

There was so much her parents hadn't told her. So much she wished she asked them. There were so many questions racing through her head at the moment.

She took a deep breath as she made her way to the front door of the house. She paused for a moment, and knocked, before waiting a few moments.

Upon no response, she tried the door, and was surprised to find it unlocked. Even with a fidelius charm, most witches or wizards still used locking charms for security.

She stepped foot into the house, only to see it had looked as if a struggle had occurred. However by the dust laying on the furniture, she could tell that it must have occurred years, if not a few decades ago. Whomever had lived in the house was long gone, leaving nothing but mementos behind.

She wandered around, and saw a picture of a woman with blonde hair and a light skin tone. She looked familiar in some way, but Hermione couldn't place her.

There were a few other pictures on the mantle; one of the woman with two people who seemed to be her parents, a few with her and some other people her age, and one of her with a young baby girl.

Hermione studied the pictures carefully, and gasped slightly as she recognized four of the members in the picture. Hell, she recognized the picture just by looking at it. It was the original Order of the Phoenix.

Who was this lady? And what was she doing living so close to Hermione?

She moved from the mantle as she felt an urge to go up the stairs. She couldn't explain it, but she felt drawn to something, like there was some sort of bond between her and the memories of the house.

She let her fingers drift over the railing as she climbed up the stairs swiftly. She could see a room at the end of the hall, and she moved towards it. There was a feeling of déjà vu crash through her as she opened the door and was met with a brightly coloured nursery.

Her breath staggered as she felt an onslaught of emotion. The woman had a baby; a girl. What had happened to the child?

Hermione's curiosity got the better of her, and she moved through the room. Had her parents known this woman and their child?

She couldn't breathe for a second as she had a nagging thought in the back of her head, giving her a very good idea of just what had happened all those years ago, and who the baby had been. It was a conversation she had had with her parents long ago, but had only been in part. What if they didn't know the exact circumstances involved?

What if someone altered their memories, ever so slightly to make her parents not question what had happened?

She saw a box placed neatly on the dresser, and Hermione moved to open it. To her surprise it was locked, and not by magic. What had been the point of keeping the house unlocked if the lady locked up this box? What was so important about it?

Hermione fiddled around with the key in her hand, as she lifted it to the box. As she placed it in the lock and turned the key, she smiled ever so slightly when it turned.

She lifted the lid to reveal several vials of memories in the box, along with a few scattered images and some documents.

Hermione lifted up the photographs and went through them. She gasped slightly as she saw the first picture was of the woman with people she recognized, no matter how young they looked.

Not only was the blonde woman a witch, she was in the Order and she seemed to know Harry's parents, judging by another picture which had the woman, James and Lily, alongside Remus, Sirius, Wormtail, and another woman she didn't recognize.

She went through the rest of the pictures and saw some of the woman with her daughter, and some of her with Lily Potter, back in school as friends. There were a few pictures of the girl, who seemed to be almost one at the time, smiling back at her, and that was when she knew for sure. Because she had seen that same girl before in pictures that were still, in her own house.

She placed the pictures aside as she saw what the last document in the box was.

Hermione felt herself shake as she lifted up what appeared to be a birth certificate. But it wasn't that which caused her to feel unable to breathe. It was the first line, and _who_ the birth certificate was for; confirming her earlier theory.

There was her name on the first line, but it wasn't the surname Granger which accompanied her given name.

No it was that of her father, who was listed just below the name Marlene McKinnon, the woman in all the pictures in the house.

There, listed as her father was Remus Lupin, and in that moment, Hermione felt herself fall to the ground and break down for the first time since she received the news of her parents' death. Somehow in an instant, it seemed like her entire world had shattered completely.

* * *

 **A/N:** I want to make a quick disclaimer that this story will not in any way belittle the relationship between Remus and Tonks. That will still occur, however this story will just show that Remus had a former love in the past, and almost one and a half decades later, he moved on with Tonks. Also, that Sirius and Tonks are still alive.

I wish I could save more characters, like Fred, Dumbledore, and Hedwig, but it is not in the nature of this story, so those characters' deaths will remain. Later chapters may address their lack of deaths for the characters who survive.

As usual, I shall be updating this every Sunday unless something comes up, and I look forward to the journey I have planned for this story, which will feature a variety of plots intertwined in one.

See you next week!


	2. Reunited

**Chapter 2**

 _ **March 1977**_

 _Marlene sighed to herself as she read fiddled with robes. She was nervous, to say in the least._

 _How did the world change so much in just a few years? How did everything she grew up around change in a matter of but a few years?_

 _She was growing up and everything around her was shifting._

 _Despite being raised in the wizarding world, and attending Hogwarts for six years, it felt like she was a stranger watching in on the horrors that were seizing their world._

 _Every day in the paper there were more and more reports of death and destruction. Voldemort was gaining more and more popularity, and not just with the witches and wizards who were older and believed in blood purity._

 _She could see it all around her; how taunts that were once made to verbally insult someone's status were turning far more malicious and violent._

 _It wasn't a regular day if some student didn't end up in the infirmary due to being hexed by someone who believed them to be unworthy, or hexing someone in return to save themselves from the bigoted bullies that were after them._

 _She could see how it affected Lily Evans, despite her friend's efforts to pretend it didn't._

 _Marlene knew it hurt her friend to see the names being hurled at her, but it wasn't the ones that came from people like Mulciber, Avery, or any of the other Slytherins who had always disliked her, that hurt Lily. It was the backhanded insults that came from Severus when he was with his friends._

 _For someone who had begged Lily for almost a month to forgive him, he quickly settled in to his role as a Death Eater in training, or so Marlene had taken to calling all of them._

 _She pushed her peas around on her plate. It seemed as if she had little appetite these days. If Lily or Mary had noticed something odd about her behaviour, neither mentioned it._

 _"Lily, Marlene, Mary," she heard a voice greet from behind her._

 _She looked up to see Remus sit beside her on the bench._

 _"Remus?" Lily said, slightly confused, and Marlene didn't blame her. It wasn't odd for Remus to be sitting with Lily and them, but it was when Sirius was on the other side of the table, and James Potter was sitting a few seats over in the other direction. "Is everything okay?" she asked, slightly hesitant._

 _It was rare for the Marauders to ever be apart, and it seemed as if they weren't the only ones who had noticed something was up. There were curious glances from all of the tables, and from even a few of the Professors._

 _She wondered the quartet were planning some sort of prank, and that was the reason for their separation. However James looked like he had been scratched up, Sirius looked as if he hadn't slept in a few days, and Remus had a tense air to him._

 _"Yeah," Remus exhaled, as he filled his plate with a bread roll, and some potatoes. "Sirius did something stupid, but I don't really want to talk about it."_

 _Mary gave him a sympathetic smile, as she started talking to the group about one of their assignments. Marlene knew her friend was doing it in an attempt to take Remus' mind off of whatever seemed to be bothering him._

 _She brushed a strand of her blonde hair out of her face as she studied him closely. While she had talked to Remus in passing, she never had a full conversation with him. Not like she often had with James, as she grew up with him, or Sirius whom she had often laughed along with in classes or in the common room._

 _Other than Peter, she found that Remus was the Marauder she automatically assumed she had the least in common with. It wasn't that he was not as outgoing as James or Sirius, or that he wasn't the sort of heart throb that girls in the school associated the former two as being. He had several of his own redeeming qualities as well, was nice enough, and rather good looking in his own way. If anything, he was the sort of friend she assumed she would want in her corner._

 _If Remus noticed her watching him, he didn't say anything. But as Mary and Remus were almost fully engaged in a conversation about their latest History of Magic essay, she noticed Lily staring at her just as she had been watching Remus._

 _Her friend shot her a small smile as Marlene rolled her eyes at her friend. As the topic shifted to the latest Hogsmeade outing, Marlene felt herself being drawn into the conversation, and engaging with her friends and her newfound acquaintance in Remus._

 _It wasn't until later that day when Mary and Lily had ditched them to visit Tomes and Scrolls that Marlene and Remus had decided to visit Honeydukes so she could top up on her sugar quill supply and he could buy more chocolate frogs, that Marlene McKinnon truly felt the stem of friendship begin to bloom between her and Remus Lupin._

 _(And if she were perfectly honest with herself, she would admit between the laughs they shared, and conversations they had, she felt herself slowly start to feel as if things would be okay, despite the chaos occurring in the world around her)._

* * *

Hermione felt herself shaking ever so slightly as she left the house. It was a little over an hour since she arrived and found out the truth about her parentage. She had stashed the vials of memories in her bag, and decided to view them later. She needed to know what had happened.

It wasn't as if she didn't know she had been adopted.

Her parents had always assured her that they loved her despite everything.

They had told her when Professor McGonagall had come to visit their house all those years ago and reveal to her that she was a witch.

Her mother and father had sat her down after that visit and told her that when she two years old, they had taken her in. They didn't have a lot of information to tell her, but had mentioned that her birth mother had been killed in an accident. From what they could tell, her birth father had never been in the picture as her mother lived with her parents.

Her parents had been struggling to have their own children for quite some time when that had happened. But when her mother had failed to come for her, and the muggle authorities had told her parents of the woman's death, they finalized the paperwork for Hermione to legally become theirs.

She had looked at the official report when she was fifteen years old, but there had been no sign that magic had been involved. Looking back on it, Hermione supposed it could have been because the Aurors had altered the memories of those involved. But who had modified her parents' memories? If it had been the Ministry, then there would be records of her adoption in the Wizarding World, and when she looked into it, nothing had come up.

They had never told her if her mother was a witch, but she supposed they probably did not know themselves. Hermione speculated that their memories had been modified by magic to make them forget the specific details about what had happened so they did not question it too much. Thinking about it, she supposed it made sense that magic had been involved in her adoption.

She had stopped looking into it when she was younger. It didn't matter that she was adopted; it was exactly why she never told Harry or Ron. As far as she was concerned, she had two parents who she loved more than anything; and that was enough for her.

Somehow, she found herself with more questions than answers, and she knew exactly what she needed to do to get the answers she so desired. By going to the only source whom was still alive.

Hermione apparated directly back to Grimmauld Place, where she knew the person she wanted to see would be visiting.

As she opened the door, she tossed her bag aside and went straight to the kitchen where Sirius and Remus were sitting at the table. They were currently laughing about something, and smiled to greet her as she entered the room.

She was shaking, and upon her lack of response, the two men immediately sobered up as they looked at her in concern.

"Hermione, is everything okay?" Sirius asked her, slightly worried.

She stayed silent as she handed the birth certificate to Remus, before asking the man, "Did you know?"

She watched as the man read the paper in front of him and look up at her in shock, "Hermione-" he said, before she cut him off again.

"Did you know?" she asked again, before adding, as Sirius peered over and read the paper as well, "Did you know that you're my father?"

"No," Remus said, shock colouring his voice. "I never even knew Marlene was pregnant."

"Is it true then?" she asked sitting down from exhaustion.

"I-I suppose so," he said with a nod. Sirius looked at the pair of them in shock. "I loved Marlene; we were together in our last year of Hogwarts and until she passed away. But I swear to you Hermione, I never knew she was pregnant. I didn't know about you."

She felt the words crash into her as reality began to settle in.

"How?" she asked softly. "How did you not know that the woman you claimed to have loved was pregnant with your child? How did none of you know? You were in the Order together."

He was silent for a few moments, as if to figure out what had happened. She stared impatiently as she waited for him to speak again.

"I had a secret mission, given to me by Dumbledore. He wanted me to gather support of all the other werewolves, but to do so, I had to fully immerse myself in their ranks. I couldn't tell anyone, as it would put them in danger. Marlene knew I had a mission, but not what it was. But by the time I came back, the war was over; Harry lost his parents, and Marlene had been dead for nearly a month by then. Hermione, I swear to you, if I knew she was pregnant, I never would have left her alone. I would have stayed and protected the both of you."

"Why didn't she ever tell anyone?" Hermione whispered. "Why is there no record of me anywhere?"

"It was a war," Remus explained, unable to fully look at her. "Hermione, Voldemort was winning. By then, all of us were already targets, and she left the wizarding world. Her family had been in hiding for almost two years by that point, and I had assumed it was because she was protecting her parents, but I think she did it to keep you safe. Other than the odd Order Mission, Marlene stayed away from the wizarding world completely

"It's also our fault," Sirius said guiltily, "Or mainly mine. When Remus left, I didn't know he was on a mission. There was a traitor amongst our ranks, and at the time I thought it was him. And I was rather vocal about it. If Marlene was pregnant, she didn't tell us because of me."

Remus seemed to get what he was saying and started, "Sirius-"

"Don't, Remus," Sirius cut him off. "Because I thought you were a traitor, I caused two kids to grow up without their parents. That's on me. If I believed in you, and our friendship more, maybe Marlene would have told us, and maybe I wouldn't have switched secret keepers with Peter."

"For what it's worth, I had a good life," she said, trying to alleviate Harry's godfather's guilt. My parents loved me and were always there for me."

Remus gave her a sad smile, "I'm glad, Hermione. I wish I could have been there for you as you were growing up, but I'm glad you have your parents. How did you find out anyways?"

"I-" she said in surprise as she realized she forgot to mention how she learned the truth. No, instead she had barged in and simply announced to the man that he was her father, without any sort of explanation. For dropping such a truth bomb on the man, he was taking it pretty well.

She explained what had happened, remembering the incident which caused her to find out about Remus and Marlene.

Her biological parents.

She had known her biological father for over six years, yet neither of them knew that they were related.

What were the chances?

"Hermione," Remus said wordlessly as she finished speaking. He placed his hand over hers, and she felt a small comfort from the action. "Do Harry and Ron know?"

She shook her head as a few tears slipped out, and Remus moved to pull her into a hug. She felt herself lean into him, as Sirius rubbed her back gently.

When she pulled away from him, she wiped her eyes slightly. Remus looked concerned, as she did.

"So what now?" she asked the man softly. "What does this mean for us?"

"It can mean whatever you want, Hermione," Remus told her gently, "I don't want to replace your parents in your life. But with that said, I've gotten to know you over the last six years as Harry's friend, but I would like to get to know you as my daughter as well."

She smiled softly at that, "I would like that as well," she nodded.

"Would you like to come over for dinner tonight?" Remus asked her carefully, unsure if he was pushing too many boundaries, "Teddy can meet his sister, and I'm sure Dora would love to see you."

"If it wouldn't be intruding," Hermione asked, "Then I would love to."

He smiled at that, and Hermione felt herself exhale the breath of air that she had been holding in.

* * *

Draco let out a sigh as he stared at the mountain of work at his desk.

This wasn't where he saw his life heading when he was a child. Hell, when he signed up to be a curse breaker, he had assumed there would be far more action, and far less desk work. Yet here he was, sitting at a desk as he attempted to research the latest cursed object that had been tossed at him.

He knew newer employees often started at the bottom of the chain, but quite frankly, he felt like his supervisors often threw things his way when they didn't feel like dealing with them.

Ironically, the only one who seemed to care enough to give him interesting cases, or at least pity him, was Bill Weasley.

The oldest Weasley child had been slightly wary of him in the beginning, but had slowly warmed up to him over the last year and a bit.

He had gotten the job after things had calmed down after the war. He had opted out of returning to Hogwarts for his seventh year, and had instead taken his NEWTs privately so he would still have his scores. Getting a job had been difficult, but he found that having Harry Potter testify on his behalf had helped his case. Even Granger's testimony that he had tried to deter his Aunt's torture of her had been a surprise, but had been beneficial.

The name his father had been so proud to lord over others had fallen significantly. The name still had value, but nowhere near the amount it once had held.

He supposed it was good his father was in Azkaban so he didn't have to see it now. And that he wouldn't have to see Draco choosing to work for a living.

Not that his father ever approved of any of Draco's decisions.

He knew he didn't have to work, but his other options were to simply go around joining every committee to hold power as his father had, or to sit at home with his mother who was on house arrest, and quite frankly, neither option sounded all that appealing.

Draco rubbed his temples as he tried to stare at the paper in front of him.

"Draco," he heard a voice call his name, and he looked up to see Bill standing at his desk, looking down to him.

He looked up and gave Bill a nod of acknowledgement.

"I just wanted to tell you that the Minister has sent a letter that he would like to meet with us early next week," Bill informed him.

"What about?" Draco inquired curiously. He knew Bill and Kingsley were acquaintances, but didn't it quite explain why him. "And are you sure he wants me there?"

Bill shrugged, "He didn't say, so it's probably of a sensitive nature. And it was addressed to the both of us, so yes, I'm sure he wants you there."

Draco frowned, at that. Why would the Minister of Magic want to meet up with him? It didn't make any sense. And what could be so sensitive that he couldn't even reveal the subject in the letter?

Bill gave him a sympathetic smile as he seemed to realize the younger man's confusion.

He had so many questions, and no answers. Unfortunately for him, it seemed the only thing he could do was wait until the meeting to find out what the Minister wanted.

* * *

 **A/N:** In case the memory confuses anyone as to why Remus was fighting with his friends, it was because it occurred around the time Sirius tricked Snape into going to see Remus during a full moon, thus causing tension. In addition to Hermione and Draco's story, this story will also feature that of Marlene and Remus, and how they fell in love. It will be a side story and not in as much detail as the two main characters.


	3. Truths

**Chapter 3**

 ** _March 1977_**

 _Marlene McKinnon was good at many things. When she was younger, she was the first out of all the children she had grown up with to display accidental magic. She had been precisely four and a half when it happened._

 _She remembered the moment because it was when she had bonded with James Potter for the first time._

 _It had been at a pureblood gathering, which her mother had insisted she attend since she was friends with the odd mother or so there, despite having issues with the beliefs of half the other guests there. She knew a few of the kids in passing, so while she was expected to play with them while the adults talked about whatever it was they conversed about, she had found herself getting offended by half the things one of the boys her age was saying._

 _See, Rodolphus Lestrange seemed to have it in his thick head that while Pureblood women were clearly better than muggles or half-bloods, they still were lower to pureblood men. That there was a natural order to the world, and the fact is, that despite how educated they became, what jobs they obtained, they never would be anywhere near as good as the men. Of course his language was a lot simpler, but the point still made its way across._

 _And suffice to say, Marlene was more than displeased._

 _So in the middle of his huge rant, she had "accidently" caused several apples from the tree above him to fall and hit him on the head. And when the older boy found out what she had done, he had been more than displeased. So when James had stood up to the boy, the two had bonded over the moment, and had gotten an earful from both their mothers, despite knowing that they were secretly pleased with their children's actions._

 _She was great at telling stories and capturing the attention of her audience. And she had a flair for the dramatics._

 _Marlene was also rather skilled at charms. As it stood, she was one of the top students in her grade. Not at the top, of course, since that spot was permanently reserved for Lily, but still rather up there._

 _However none of that came close to mattering when it came to potions._

 _No matter how hard she tried, none of it ever made any sense to her. She understood the gist of Potions. It should be simple of course, to just follow the instructions and mix the ingredients together as dictated._

 _Yet without fail, it seemed like every potions she attempted to make was an utter disaster._

 _Despite Slughorn liking her character, it wasn't enough to help her get through the class._

 _"Need some help?" she heard a voice ask her. Marlene looked up to see Remus standing at the table looking at the books in front of her._

 _It had been almost two weeks since the two of them had spent time in Hogsmeade together. While Remus, James, and Peter seemed to be on better terms with each other, Remus was still frosty with Sirius. She hadn't asked him why, since it really wasn't any of her business._

 _But in those two weeks, she had found herself spending more and more time in the company of proclaimed Intellectual Heartthrob of the Marauders, or so he had been deemed._

 _And she found that she was starting to look forward to the time the two of them spent together._

 _He was soft spoken, and not the centre of attention at every precise moment. But he was in no ways completely shy. He put himself out there, and Marlene felt herself grin every time she thought of their new found friendship._

 _Marlene ran her fingers through her hair, wondering just how much of a mess she looked like at the moment. She had been in the library for at least three hours already, and she was no closer to understanding what was on the Potions test she had in a few days than she had when she began._

 _"Yes," she sighed, "I just don't get this, Remus. I've tried time and time again, but I seem to be mixing up the actions for each step. I can remember that in the_ Shrinking Potion _that you must juice the four leeches, and not crush them. And it's like that for every step of all the potions. I'm never going to be ready for this."_

 _"Have you asked Lily for pointers?" Remus asked, as he pulled out the chair to sit beside her._

 _"Mmhm," she groaned, "But Lily seems to be a prodigy in that class. She puts in the work, yes, but it seems like every potion comes naturally to her. And when she tries to explain the steps, she doesn't always seem to get why I don't know_ _ **why**_ _you juice the leech. Why can't you crush the entire thing? How does that change the effects?"_

 _"Because by crushing it, you get other undesirable parts of it," Remus explained, "And those other parts of the leech increase the potency, so instead of just shrinking it to a normal scale, it makes it so small, it isn't visible anymore."_

 _She looked at him with amazement, "That actually makes a lot of sense," she said to him as he grinned._

 _"Don't sound so surprised," he laughed, "Potions isn't too bad if you understand the_ _ **why**_ _of the steps you are taking. And luckily for you, I have nothing else to do today, and helping you will be a good way for me to review the material."_

 _"You are literally the best person in the entire world," Marlene declared with a smile. "Like such a lifesaver."_

 _He shook his head at her with a smile on his face, as he began to explain the steps of that potion, followed by all the other ones they needed to know. His face had a slight blush at that, but she shrugged it off as being nothing more than him being flattered._

 _And come dinner time, when Marlene finally found herself understanding all the material, he accompanied her down to the Great Hall where the two of them fell into a discussion on whether Slughorn's next party would indeed have the Seeker of the Magpies, or if Slughorn was just making up his connection to the renowned Quidditch player._

* * *

Hermione sipped her tea as she sat at the table. Sirius had gone over to Remus' place, or her father's place, to give her, Harry, and Ron some privacy. Not that her two friends had any idea what was happening.

She probably should have told them sooner; hell she probably should have told them the moment she found out that her parents had passed. She could have talked about it when she saw Harry earlier, or Ron in passing.

To be fair, it only had been a day since she had found out. After confronting Remus about being her father, he had spent the day telling her of his relationship with her birth mother, how they had met, and how and how they fell in love. After, she had watched the memories with him, so she could learn what exactly her mother had left for her.

Sure enough, the vials of memories Marlene had left had been memories of her life in sixth year, as she had grown closer with Remus, all the way up to her death, with Remus filling in any blanks Hermione might have had questions on. Thankfully, they hadn't see Marlene's death, however they both had a good idea of how it happened, and how Hermione had ended up in the care of the Grangers. It had shaken the pair of them up, but Hermione felt slightly closer to her mother in a way.

It was strange to see the woman who had given birth to her. Marlene was beautiful, talented, and outgoing. There were a lot of differences between her and her mother's personality, but as Marlene reacted certain ways in a situation or did something else, Hermione would find herself smiling along. Remus had looked haunted as he saw a younger version of himself, and Hermione wondered if he felt guilty.

There was a pang of sadness in her chest, as she knew she could never know her mother. It was unfair, and she wondered if this was a fraction of what Harry felt every time he thought of his parents.

"So, er, not to be pushy, but why exactly are we here, Hermione?" Ron asked, breaking her train of thought. "Not that I don't love seeing you, because I do."

Harry snorted at their friend's bluntness, and Hermione shook her head with a small smile, before she looked at them both.

"I got a letter from the Australian Ministry of Magic yesterday," she spoke, looking down.

"Hermione?" Harry asked, wondering where she was going with it.

"My parents were killed in a car accident two days ago," she said, blurting the words out. "They died in a mundane way because I modified their memories."

"Hermione," Ron said speechlessly, "I'm sorry."

Harry placed his arm around her, holding her against him. She could see a look of guilt in his eyes for not realizing sooner that she was going through something, despite the two of them living together.

"You didn't do this; you know that right?" Harry asked her, tilting her chin up slightly. "Hermione?"

She nodded slightly, as a few tears slipped out, "I know. I did it to give them their best chance. But all I can think of is what if I never sent them away? What if I just found a way to keep them safe? They might still be here today if I did."

"Hermione-" Ron started, and she cut him off

She nodded slightly without looking up, "I went to their house. My house. They left so suddenly that they didn't take much of their stuff with them, and I found something. I found my birth parents."

Her friends looked at her in confusion.

"As in…?" Harry asked.

"I'm adopted," she confirmed. "I've already known for years. I just found out who my parents were recently though."

"Why didn't you ever tell us?" Ron questioned.

"I didn't think it mattered," she shrugged. "I loved my parents with all my heart; what did it matter if they weren't the ones who gave birth to me?"

Harry nodded, "I can understand that," he told her softly. "Do you know why they are? Your birth parents, I mean?"

She nodded, "My mother passed away years ago, and my father didn't know about me until recently."

"Wait you talked to him already?" Ron said in shock. "And I'm sorry about your mother."

"I might have confronted him as soon as I found out," she admitted, "I was shocked and confused, and I needed to know the truth. I needed to know if he knew about me all this time and never said a thing."

"Who is he?" Harry questioned curiously.

"Remus," she said, dropping her gaze. "Remus Lupin is my father."

Harry started choking as she said those words.

"What?" Ron asked, "How?"

"I don't think I need to explain the mechanics of it, Ron!" Hermione said slightly agitated.

"Right, sorry," he said, turning red. "But how did it happen? Who was your mother, and how come Remus never knew about you?"

She launched into the story, explain to them how she found the house, talking to Remus, and then the contents of the memories she had watched. When she was finished, her friends looked completely stunned.

"That was-" Ron started

"Wow," Harry finished for him.

She looked at them wryly, "Always the articulate pair, aren't you?"

Harry gave her a half smile, "I'm sorry that you lost your parents, Hermione. And I'm sorry you never got to meet your mother. She sounds so much like you, and I have a feeling she would have been a blast to have been around. But at least you know you still have one parent."

She smiled, "That I do. It's weird of me to think of Remus as my father though. I've known him for years, and neither of us knew."

"How did he take the news?" Ron asked her, "Like you told us about what happened, but not the emotions. Was he okay with it? Did he react well?"

She nodded, "I was a mess. I went up to him and practically threw my birth certificate in his face, and he calmed me down after. He's taking it really well actually, all things considered. Far better than I am anyways."

"Good," Harry said with a smile, "Remus is a good father."

She smiled back, "That he is. I had dinner with him, Tonks, and Teddy too, and all of them made me feel so welcome. It was really nice."

Ron reached out and grabbed her hand, "I'm glad. You deserve to be happy, Hermione."

She smiled at both of them and let out a sigh of relief.

* * *

Draco groaned as he sat up in his bed. This was the fourth time in a row he had woken up feeling a sharp pain in his chest. It was starting to get unbearable and he knew why.

He had been putting it off since he was nineteen, for lack of a better reason, other than hoping it would go away.

Which was ridiculous.

Once couldn't just stop the process once it had begun.

He had known for years, since his father sat him down at the age of ten to discuss it with him. His father had told him that their family had a secret which they chose not to reveal to the outside world. That a member of the Malfoy family generations ago had married a veela whom he had fallen in love with. As a result, members of the Malfoy family since then have had the blood of a veela coursing through their veins.

And while the amount of veela blood in the Malfoy line had been significantly diluted, there was still enough of it left to have an effect on the line.

There wasn't enough of the veela blood in them to be have the physical changes that occur, such as body morphing, growing wings, or any other thing, however what did occur was possibly worse in Draco's opinion.

The desire to find his mate.

While his mother was his father's mate, Lucius had explained to Draco that if a mate was not deemed worthy of the family line, then that person was left to forever pine after their mate, while they married someone worthy.

In other words, if Draco fell for a half-blood or muggleborn, he wouldn't be allowed to pursue the union.

And would be miserable for the rest of his life.

Because that option was so appealing.

It wasn't as if he was putting it off because he didn't want to end up mated with an "undesirable" mate. He could care less about that sort of thing. Blood purity was the reason he was almost driven to murder. It was the reason so many innocent people died. Over what? When one's family first got the gene to cause one to be a witch/wizard?

Because that was really all it was when it came down to it; a genetic mutation.

No, it was because he didn't want to know. Once he found out, he would have to act on it.

He knew that it wasn't just a random person that the veela in him chose to mate with. It would be a person who he already had feelings for, and a person who would be the best match for him. It would be a person he could be truly happy with.

The problem was, he had a very good idea who it could be. There weren't many women in his life that he had feelings for in that sort of way. Nor were there any other women could be that sort of match for him.

Draco knew precisely who his mate would be, and so he avoided her like the plague.

He was ninety percent sure she would castrate him if she ever found out. Then set her friends on him. And then curse him a few times.

It didn't help that he was absolutely terrible to her back in school. There was absolutely no way she would be willing to ever see him as anything less than that person.

He knew that avoiding her wasn't a very good plan, and that the chances he would run into her were high. Avoiding someone for the rest of his life would be difficult.

But at the same time, he refused to acknowledge it.

However sensing by the increasing pains in his chest, the veela in him was rather desperate to find his mate. Regardless of what Draco wanted.

He cast a quick wandless charm over his chest. While the spell never seemed to remove the pain completely, it numbed it enough for him to function regularly.

He threw the blankets off the bed as he stood up. It was still early enough that he could go back to bed if he really wanted to, but he knew sleep was not in the cards for the remainder of the hours he had left. He let out a sigh, knowing it would be a long day.

* * *

Hermione frowned as she looked at the parchment that the Ministry Owl had delivered to her. She had been close to Kingsley for years, but never once had she gotten an official owl from him. Usually, it was a casual invitation to tea for her, Harry, and Ron. But this was different. It was an official letter from Kinsley wanting to meet up with her to discuss something of a sensitive nature.

What could be so important that he couldn't talk about it in a letter?

She tossed it back onto the desk as she scribbled a quick response that she would meet up with him during the time Kinglsey had requested.

Little did she know that meeting would change her life even more than it already had in the past week.


	4. History

**Chapter 4**

 ** _April 1977_**

 _Marlene sighed to herself as she walked down the halls to her next class. She knew she was going to be late to Defence, but she couldn't be bothered to go any faster. She was sleep deprived, stressed, and rather hungry, but she supposed that was due to how much the world seemed to have shifted lately._

 _She was going into her NEWTs next year, which meant that ever single professor she had, seemed to have upped their game of how much work they were assigning. For a single subject, she had almost three essays due, each of over six feet each, a practical test, and several new spells or potions to learn, all occurring weekly._

 _So it was pretty safe to say that Marlene McKinnon was rather exhausted._

 _She knew it wasn't just her; Lily came to class each day with dark circles, Amos Diggory looked paler than he had ever been, Remus looked as if he may fall asleep at any moment, and even James and Sirius, who despite being smart but more laid back in terms of their education looked as if they were drained._

 _Her entire life had always revolved around magic; she had grown up in a magic household and seen it every here as she was younger. Her friends were all witches and wizards, and it was all she had ever know._

 _But she would be lying to herself if she said that at times she wondered what it would be like if she simply ran away to the muggle world._

 _In reality she knew it would solve very little of her problems, but it didn't take away that desire to run from it all._

 _"Stop!" she heard a frantic boy cry out from a hallway over. "Please, that's my homework! I worked hard on it!"_

 _"Look at the mudblood getting all worked up," she heard a familiar voice say; Travers. "It's not as if you belong here anyway, mudblood. You're never going to make it in this world. Even if you do graduate Hogwarts, there is no room in our world for someone like you. Someone without connections who lacks ambition to do what they need to, to higher their place. The world might have been slightly sympathetic to your plight before, but it's changing. Soon mudblood trash like you will have no place in this world."_

 _"Shut up, Travers," she found herself saying as he rounded the corner. There was a boy who she recognized as a Ravenclaw from a year below them on the ground, looking as if he was about to cry. The boy was surrounded by Travers, Snape, Avery, and a few other faces she was less than pleased to see. "Just leave now, and maybe Lily won't assign you all detentions."_

 _Avery sneered, "You think threatening us with punishment is going to change anything, McKinnon? THere's a war brewing out there," he gestured in the air, "And every day the world is changing more and more for the better. Soon there will be no room for people like him, or your precious Gryffindor Princess in this world. It doesn't matter if you don't like it; it doesn't change the fact that it's happening. But what could change is your stance."_

 _Travers nodded, "You come from good blood, McKinnon. You have the chance to change things. Be on the right side, like Severus here. Come and see what the winning side is like, and you won't ever have to question your place in this world. It would be secured for years to come. You could get married into a good family and have children whose blood line is strong. Don't throw it away because you're friends with blood traitors."_

 _She glared at them, "Bettering the world? By murdering innocents and torturing others? That's not making a positive change, its turning the world for the worse. Even if your argument was valid that they don't belong, we're a dying race. There's already so much in breeding and inter marrying, that almost all our lines are tied already. Families are having difficulties conceiving as a result. Besides, Lily Evans **is** the smartest student in the school, whether you chose to admit that or not. So how can you say that we're better than them? All your arguments have so many flaws yet you refuse to see them, or see past your ways. The world needs to change yes, but not the way you want it to. And if you don't mind, Conner here and I are going to leave once you hand him back his homework."_

 _"Or what?" Travers threatened._

 _"Or I'll show you just what it feels like to be hit by one of **my** hexing spells. Ask your buddy _ Severus _here. He's been on the receiving end of it several times in the last year," she said with a smirk as she helped the Ravenclaw off the ground._

 _Travers was about to say something, but he saw the bitter look in Snape's face as he recalled the way she had hexed him after he had hurt her friend the year before. Avery looked less than pleased at the event, but she reached for her wand to threaten them, and thankfully, it seemed to have worked, despite the odds not being all that good._

 _By dinner, it seemed that the Gryffindors had heard all about what had happened. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence, but she could see Remus giving her a smile of approval, as James clapped her on the back._

 _Lily on the other hand looked less than happy with what had happened._

 _"I don't get it," she said with a sigh, "I mean I get their stupid notion of blood purity, but I don't get why it makes such a difference."_

 _"It shouldn't," Marlene told her friend, "It's a dumb ideal which seems to echo in their minds as they struggle to try and feel better about themselves and nothing more. They're wrong, Lily. They're so wrong if they think Voldemort is going to help them get what they want. Just you wait, give it a year or so, and he'll be gone. That's how it always works with radicals like him. They prance into the world and claim they want things to change for the better, then try and implement change, but eventually fail. It happened with Grindelwald a few decades ago."_

 _"Before Dumbledore defeated him," Lily reminded her. "Who's going to_ defeat _Voldemort?"_

 _She shrugged, "Us maybe. Who knows? But either way, just give it a little bit of time, and things will go back to how it was when we were younger."_

 _Lily didn't look too convinced, and Marlene didn't blame her. She wasn't entirely sure if she believed it herself, if she was being perfectly honest._

* * *

Hermione sighed to herself as she waited in the lobby to meet up with Kingsley. She had tried to owl him back for more details afterward, but he had refused to give them, claiming the matter he needed to talk about was extremely sensitive in nature and he couldn't take the risk that news of what was happening would leak to the outside world.

She couldn't help but wonder what it was that he needed to discuss, particularly with her nonetheless. If Harry and Ron had received cryptic messages as well, neither of them had bothered mentioning it to her, just as she hadn't mentioned it to them.

She hadn't been waiting too long just yet, as she just arrived a few moments prior. She had spent the night over with Remus and Tonks, as she had unofficially been given the guest bedroom. It was slightly strange that her step-mother, or she supposed Tonks would be that to her, was only a few years older than her. Six to be precise.

She supposed it didn't help that Remus was barely twenty years older than her himself, given that her mother must have fallen pregnant early.

It hadn't been a rare occurrence back then; as Harry's parents had been young as well.

She didn't have a complete family dynamic with Remus or Tonks, and it felt like Teddy could be more like her son than her brother, and she supposed that was something she would just have to get used to.

She didn't mind it however.

It was nice to still have a family who cared for her outside her friends and the Weasleys. She knew Remus was still being extremely cautious about being her father in an attempt to not be over bearing, but she had tried to assure him that it didn't matter too much.

Part of her wondered if what Kinglsey wanted to talk to her about had to do with the fact that she was indeed adopted, but she didn't see how it was possible. She barely told anyone other than her friends so it wasn't as if he had a way of knowing, unless Remus or Tonks had told him.

Which to be fair was plausible. Remus and Tonks were good friends with the Minister of Magic, and Kingsley often came over for dinner even before her life had taken such an abrupt turn.

However it didn't explain why he was being so secretive about what he wanted to meet about. And wouldn't Remus have told her if he knew what the meeting was about?

Not that she had told him that she was meeting up with Kingsley.

She supposed she should have, but to be perfectly honest, she had no idea what she was even meeting up with Kingsley about. What if he just wanted to have a chat?

"Miss Granger?" a blonde witch asked her, causing Hermione to look up at her, "The Minister will see you now."

Hermione stood, and brushed her robes slightly to remove the creases as she followed the witch into the Minister's chambers.

"Hermione," Kingsley's low voice said in a greeting manner. "It's nice to see you."

"And you, Kinglsey," she said with a smile, as Kingsley lead her to his desk. She took a seat opposite to him. "What can I do for you today?"

He looked at her with a troubled expression, "I wish I could say I asked you here for a social call, Hermione," he informed her, "However today what I must talk to you about is of anything but a pleasant nature."

"Meaning?" Hermione asked with a frown.

"First I must ask that you swear an oath of secrecy. I'm not going to ask you to retain the truth from your loved ones, but I must ask for your discretion. It is of utmost importance that the public does not find out what I am about to reveal to you."

She grew curious at that, as she nodded, "I assure you that you have my word," she said. "Whatever you tell me will be kept of a private nature."

"How familiar are you with the story of King Arthur?" Kingsley asked her.

"I know enough," she said with a frown, "What does it have to do with anything?"

"Because of what happened," He said vaguely. "I won't explain the story of Merlin and Arthur to you, for I'm sure you know all about that. What I am about to tell you about has to do with Arthur's half-sister, Morgana Le Fay. As you probably know, she, alongside Mordred is often cast as the antagonist in history, however that is not how her origins began."

She wanted to question him, and ask the relevance of the tale. She had read all about King Arthur, Merlin, and Morgana as she was a child. She had even re-read the stories when she found out she was a witch, and that the tales were real, to find out what had happened. And as Kinsley had mentioned, there was not a lot about Morgana as an individual which did not concern Arthur or Merlin.

"She was a healer," Kingsley explained to her, "Always trying to save lives of others through the use of magic, and prevent diseases. But as Arthur grew more wary of magic, the witches and wizards of that time, or druids as they were called, started to pull away. Morgana grew bitter because she thought she deserved the crown. It wasn't fair when she was the first born of Uther, but was a bastard and a woman, so neither helped her case. And other than Merlin, Arthur started to distrust anyone who had magic. Despite Merlin's protests, he began hunting druids, unaware that his own sister possessed the very power he so feared and hated. As these druids began to go into hiding, even before the Statute of Secrecy, Morgana grew restless. She wanted to be able to help people, but it was getting harder for her to use her powers without her brother finding out. She feared her brother was going mad, as their father had years before. But the madness wasn't spreading in her brother as she was afraid of, but herself. Her magic was growing darker, despite having good intentions. It was no longer the desire to help people that she craved, but the power."

Hermione listened to the story with interest as he told it. There had been rumours that Uther had been driven mad in the years before his death, claiming it steamed from the loss of his wife. If those rumours were true, and it was some sort of hereditary disease, there was a good chance Morgana could have inherited it as well.

"She turned to the druids for help. She went to them in the middle of the night, begging them for help to bring down her brother. By herself she wasn't strong enough to take Camelot, as Merlin was a powerful wizard himself. She knew she didn't stand a chance, and she wasn't stupid enough to believe otherwise. She begged and pleaded with them, trying to convince them that they could live a good life if they were successful. That she could promise they would have power and wouldn't have to live in fear."

"But the druids knew that it was a vain cause. Even if they did succeed, there would always be a threat to their line. The humans, or muggles as we call them, would never have let them co-exist. So they turned her down, and shunned her from their midst. Morgana Le Fay would only bring death and destruction to them all, and it was not a battle they were willing to partake in."

"What happened?" Hermione asked, knowing Kingsley was getting to the relevant part. While she loved discussing matters of all topics with the Minister casually, she could sense that the climax of the story would be the reason in which she had been called to meet up with Kinsley, and why exactly he had started telling this story to her.

"Naturally she was enraged," Kingsley said, looking right at her. "She felt that she had been slighted by the druids, and was less than pleased. Their lack of cooperation had been a setback in her plan that she hadn't anticipated having to encounter. She had assumed they would all jump at the chance to help restore what she felt was their rightful place. Above the humans. See, she now believed them to be pets whom she could care for and help, but she no longer though them to be her equal. Perhaps it was the magic in her veins, or her desire to become queen, but either way, she felt she deserved to be on the top."

"While Morgana was skilled at many different types of magic, it was healing which she was the best at, and as such, it meant that the reverse was true where she was capable of planting illnesses in the hearts of her enemies. She believed that the druids had abandoned her, and that as a result they needed to be punished."

Hermione felt her breath hitch in her throat as he continued to speak, her mind racing as a theory began to form in her mind as to what exactly Kingsley was going to say next, and why she was here.

"According to legend, she stayed awake for seven days and nights as she formed the perfect curse. The druids were so scared of death and destruction, so that was exactly what she would bring to them. Starting that year, the druid population, and subsequently the wizarding population, would be subjected to a curse where every 200 years, give or take, which was destined to wipe the population of the wizarding, and muggle world by proxy. A terrible epidemic would sweep over England to bring the population almost to the brinks of extinction, leaving very few witches and wizards left to rebuild. You see, wiping them out completely would end the pleasure she would take from it, despite being long dead herself. By leaving survivors, they would be left to pick of the pieces, even if they didn't know that it was a direct result of their ancestors turning away Morgana."

"And the 200 years is about to have reached its cycle soon, I'm guessing?" Hermione asked.

Kingsley nodded, "However the problem is not just that the curse is meant to wipe out the population, which is a problem in itself. The main problem derives from the fact that after the war, the population of the English wizarding world is already at an all-time low. My fear is that if this epidemic strikes again, we may not be able to survive. If it strikes, the wizarding population of England may become extinct entirely. As an unspeakable who works with ancient texts on a regular basis, I need you to work on breaking this curse so it cannot occur this time, or ever again in the future."

"By myself?" she asked incredulously. She supposed she should have been flattered in his faith in her, however she needed help if she were to take on the task herself.

There was a knock on the door just then and Kingsley shook his head at her, "Not by yourself. With two curse breakers from Gringotts. I've already filled them in, and they're here to finalize some details," he told her before speaking in a louder voice, "You may enter."

Hermione turned to see Bill Weasley enter the room, however it wasn't him who caught her attention. It was Draco Malfoy, who walked in beside him.

And the moment she laid eyes on him, she felt the blood begin to pound through her veins, as she struggled to breathe just then. In that single moment, she felt her heart implode.


	5. Attraction

**Chapter 5**

 ** _May 1977_**

 _Marlene packed up her bag as her defense lecture came to an end. Most of the Slytherins and Gryffindors had already left the class, except for a few like Lily who had stayed back to ask a few more questions based on the lecture material._

 _She looked around the room with a frown. Remus had missed class again today, and the remainder of the Mauraders had all but bolted out of the room the moment their last class of the day came to a close._

 _She noticed they did that a lot. She didn't see it so much in the past but the more she had gotten to know Remus over the past few months, the more she had noticed him skipping classes and always having a story to explain why: visiting a sick aunt, didn't feel all that well himself, family emergency, just didn't feel like it, and so it went on. There was always an explanation with him._

 _Part of her wondered if she should confront him about it. They were friends after all. But were they close enough that he would feel comfortable in confiding in her? Especially if it was something sensitive in nature?_

 _She frowned to herself as she slung her bag around her shoulder. Lily gave her a gesture, implying for her to go on without her, and Mary and Emmeline Vance had already left class, hungry for dinner, and had promised they would save her a seat at the table._

 _Her own stomach growled slightly, so she shrugged and headed out of the room. The corridor was far emptier than it usually was, but she thought nothing of it. The rest of the students were probably already at the Great Hall or on their way there. It wasn't exactly uncommon to walk alone in a hallway._

 _She hummed to herself quietly as she made her way to the Great Hall, wondering what exactly the elves had prepared for dinner that night. Growing up in a pureblood household that was rather well off, she was used to having an elf around to help with extra chores. However it never quite felt like the elf was anything but a family member. Lux had all but raised her, and Marlene couldn't understand the mentality between some purebloods and their treatment of house elves. They weren't pets, nor were they slaves. Lux was treated just as any other human worker would be treated, with days off and compensation. Of course compensation was very rarely monetary since elves had no use for their currency, nor did they like to be paid. Instead, it was often with whatever Lux required, such as time to care for her family._

 _Marlene heard a noise from behind her, however she didn't turn around. It was a big school and there were often noises, from either the portraits, ghosts, pets, or just the castle shifting. It wasn't exactly uncommon._

 _"Take this as a warning, Blood Traitor. Next time you won't get off so easily._ Crucio _!" she heard from behind her, and before she had time to react, she fell to the ground in pain._

 _She struggled to reach for her wand, as she was hit again with the spell. She heard a male laugh, as she was hit with a hex she hadn't heard of before, and the next thing she knew, she was surrounded by darkness._

 _When Marlene awoke, it was dark around her except for the light from the full moon streaming in through the window. She tried to sit up and saw Lily perched on the edge of her bed, as she bit her lip._

 _"You're awake!" Lily said, sounding relieved. "I was so worried when I saw you passed out in the hallway, Marle. You were so pale. Madame Pomfrey didn't recognize what other spells you were hexed with, but she said you had undergone the cruciatus curse, and by the look of it, a couple of times."_

 _"That would explain why everything hurts," she said as she winced slightly._

 _"Take this," Lily handed her a potion. "It's to help with the pain."_

 _Marlene took the vial from her friend and made a face as she drank it._

 _"I should have gone with you," Lily said, frustrated. "If you weren't alone then you might not have been caught off guard. I could have helped."_

 _"It's not your fault, Lils," Marlene comforted her friend. "You couldn't have known this was going to happen. I didn't know it would. Don't blame yourself."_

 _"I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you, or anyone else I know and love," she said softly. "I think it's finally hitting me; what's going on out there."_

 _"I know," Marlene told her friend, as she placed a hand on her friends, "But it's going to be okay, Lily. We'll get through whatever this is."_

 _Lily was about to say something, when they heard a bunch of voices coming from the hall. The bed she was placed in was off to the side, but she looked to see Madame Pomfrey carrying in a boy on a stretcher magically, followed by three boys following behind them. Marlene raised her eyebrows in surprise as both girls recognized Remus to be on the stretcher while the remainder of the boys were James, Sirius and Peter._

 _From what she had noticed over the past few weeks, while Sirius was still on the edge of his friendship with the guys, they seemed to slowly be opening up to him again. Remus was still the coldest to him, while Peter had buckled almost immediately._

 _If Lily knew why the boys where here, she didn't say anything._

 _They could hear a lot of whispers and she found herself questioning it; if only she could hear what they were saying._

 _Remus was placed on the bed as his friends surrounded them. They each looked bruised and battered and she couldn't help but wonder just what they had been doing to have been left in such a state. And if Remus was here, then why wasn't he in classes?_

 _Before she could ponder upon it any further, she felt the potion begin to kick in, and herself begin to drift off to sleep._

* * *

When Hermione arrived at work the next morning, she told herself it was going to be a completely normal day. Even if she was working on a case with two curse breakers, and if she failed, then the wizarding population would be wiped out.

So basically an average day.

It wasn't as if the fate of the world had indirectly relied on her in the past or anything.

She couldn't help but wonder how she often found herself in this situation. She wasn't anything out of the ordinary, nor was she in any way well versed in the wizarding world. Even if it turned out that she was now a half blood, she still grew up in the muggle world.

Hermione had spent the better part of the night pulling every single book she could find on the Arthurian era, and anything she could find on Morgana, all of which were currently in her bag that she had used during the war, obviously configured to be more appropriate for a work place environment.

She felt herself hesitate before making her way to her office. She knew she was early and there was no way Bill or Malfoy would be there already, but she didn't want to go in quite yet.

After the two had joined her meeting with the Minister, she had found herself unable to concentrate. She felt every breathe she took resonate in her chest, hyperaware of the blonde man in the room.

He had changed since the war. Gone was the boy haunted by his actions whom she had last seen before his trial. She had testified at his trial, but since that time, he had kept himself out of public eye.

Not that she blamed him. There was still a considerable amount of negative connotation to the Malfoy name, and with his father locked up and his mother who knows where, it was really just him on his own from what she had heard. She knew Ron didn't approve of the fact that Bill had been the one to hire Draco, considering that it was his fault that the Death Eaters had gotten into the school in sixth year and had injured Bill, but he had shrugged and said that it wasn't his fault.

A lot had changed since then.

Including his physical appearance.

He had always been attractive in school, but she had never bothered noticing due to her personality. Which despite how hard she had tried at the moment to ignore him, seemed to call out to her. His cheek bones were chiselled ever so slightly, and his hair was no longer slicked back as it had been in their earlier school days. He had a slight amount of scruff on his face, and his grey eyes were piercing.

If he had noticed the internal struggle she seemed to be facing, he didn't give himself away.

Needless to say, as soon as the meeting had come to an end and she and Bill arranged for them to meet up today, she ran straight out of there. It wasn't that she had a problem with Malfoy per say, just that she wasn't quite sure she could be around him for much longer without feeling the need to explode.

Unfortunately for her, the rest of the evening had passed rather quickly, and when Remus asked if anything interesting had happened to her, and she informed him about the meeting with Kingsley, she conveniently left out the part which involved her wanting to make out with Draco Malfoy.

She wasn't completely sure how that was working out for her, or why it even had crossed her mind.

"Morning, Granger," she heard a breezy voice say, and she looked up to see Malfoy standing in the research room she had commandeered for their work. She couldn't exactly bring them to the Department of Mysteries as they didn't have the clearance.

She looked up to see him staring down at her, with a light look on his face.

If she were perfectly honest, she would admit she didn't know how to act around him. Would the two of them pretend that they had no history together? That he didn't torment her through school and that they didn't fight on opposite sides during the war? That her testimony was part of the reason he wasn't currently in Azkaban? That the two of them were polar opposites?

Or that she somehow found him even more attractive as he stood in front of her at the moment than she had remembered?

He wasn't smiling per say, but there was a hint of lightness to his demeanour. He was standing straight but had one hand in the pocket of his robe. His hair was slightly messier than it had been the day before, with a few light blonde strands drifting onto his face. His silver eyes seemed to be gazing over her as he gave her a small smile.

"Ready to save the world?"

She couldn't help but smile softly at that, as he took a seat next to her. Maybe she would be able to pretend that she wasn't as attracted to him as she really was, and the two of them would be able to go forth and finish their work together, and he could leave her life forever.

But did she really want that?

If he held any of the beliefs he once had while they were in school, he didn't show it. There were no looks of disdain in her direction, nor was there a protest to work with her. Instead, he leaned over, so the two of them were inches away.

"So I know we'll officially start when Bill gets here, but what do you think our first steps should be?" he asked her.

"What do you mean?" she gave him a look.

"I mean you're Hermione Granger. The moment you went home yesterday, you probably began outlining a plan of action as to how we should go forth and solve this case," he said, giving her a smile.

She searched his eyes for any sort of indication that he was mocking her, but when she found nothing but genuine curiosity, she said, "I pulled a couple of books that I had on me and in the Department of Mysteries on Morgana and Arthur. Our best bet is to properly see if she left any documentation of what the curse she enacted entails, and how she implemented it. If we do so, then we might be able to have more of a clue as to when it will hit, and even more importantly, how to stop it."

He nodded at that, "I can check the Manor later to see if we have any rare books on the matter, or if there are any other books that could reference her curse indirectly. You're right in thinking we need to know more about this."

She decided in that moment that the person in front of her wasn't the same as who she had known in school. And if Draco Malfoy had changed, then she deserved to give him a chance. If she didn't genuinely believe him to be a bad person, she wouldn't have testified for him. If he wanted to be a better person, then she wouldn't let her past grudged affect their partnership.

And in the meantime, she would get over whatever attraction she seemed to be facing towards the man. Her life was far too complicated at the moment as it was; the last thing she needed was to have her love life be tied up by some sort of sexual tension she felt towards him. Especially with the fate of the country lying on her shoulders. No, Draco Malfoy may be in her life now as a partner, but that was all he would be.

"Good morning, Hermione," she heard Bill's voice say warmly as he joined them, "Draco."

She greeted him verbally while Malfoy gave his colleague a nod of acknowledgement. As Bill sat down, they exchanged a few more pleasantries before they began to work on the task which had gathered them all here to begin with. The three of them spent the better part of the morning outlining strategies in which they could use to learn more about the curse, and its origins, but more specifically how to stop it. After, the three of them began pouring into the books Hermione had brought, along with a few others that Bill had picked up, to see what they could find.

And when Hermione went home that night, she felt more exhausted than she had in a while, but even more so, confused. Despite her earlier resolutions, she couldn't help but watch Malfoy read several times during the day with fascination. It was going to be a lot harder than she thought to stay away from the man.

* * *

Draco had noticed the moment he walked into the room yesterday that his mate was in there. Hell, he had known she was in there even before the door opened.

And now Hermione Granger was sitting in front of him, pouring through books, not even aware of what was happening to him.

If Bill noticed, he certainly didn't say anything about it, and for that Draco was grateful.

He had stayed away for her for so long, and all of a sudden she was thrown into his life like some sort of cruel fate.

If it were up to Draco, he would have stayed far from her for the rest of his life, refusing to drag her into the mess that was his life. It wasn't fair for her, and part of him assumed she would grow to resent him if she ever found out the entire truth. Would she even understand the implications and the truth behind it all, or would she let her anger guide her assumptions and think he was trying to force her into something which she did not want to be a part of.

She probably would read all about it, because she was the kind of person who conducted research like it was her job. Well as an unspeakable whose job dealt with runes, it partially was, he supposed.

He couldn't help but notice how much she had changed since school, despite it only being over a year since he had seen her last. She had filled into her body, and no longer looked like she was living on the run. Not that she had looked unattractive then. Just that there was a healthy glow to her.

He was screwed; Draco knew that much. If he never saw her again, he might have been able to pretend she didn't affect him as much as she did, and that he didn't need her as much as he did.

He had wanted her back in school too, before he found out he was a veela and before that had begun to affect him in any way, even if he never would have admitted it back then. Hell, he wasn't sure what those feelings were, and often hid behind insults like a coward.

She seemed to treat him coolly, not like the man who had bullied her in school but far from a friend. If anything, like a stranger.

Draco's problem now stemmed from the fact that he didn't think he would be able to stay away from her much longer. But at the same time, he refused to simply pursue her because of his veela genes.

No, he would do things differently. He would court her and see if the two of them were even compatible. And more importantly, he would give her the chance to say no, and to choose not to have a part in any of this.

It was the least he could do, even if it meant he would live the remainder of his life with a broken heart.

She deserved that much.

* * *

 **A/N:** I want to point out that despite numerous reviews, from the research I have found, Remus Lupin is a halfblood, as his mother, Hope Howell was a muggle. As Marlene is a pureblood, this makes Hermione a halfblood herself. Sorry if this causes any confusion!


	6. Guidance

**Chapter 6**

 ** _April 1977_**

 _It had been almost a week since the hospital incident, and honestly, Marlene didn't know what to make of it. She had tried talking to Lily about it, but her friend had brushed it off, saying it was probably a prank gone wrong or something of the sort. But there was no annoyance in her voice as there usually would be when the Marauders pulled off their latest plans. Even of that tone of annoyance was slowly fading away when it came to James Potter and his friends._

 _But it was her evasiveness which informed her that Lily was lying to her. She knew something about Remus which she wasn't telling her._

 _Not that she blamed her friend. Lily was fiercely loyal in that sense, and she always could be trusted to keep secrets and not go around spreading gossip. It was one of the things she loved so much about her. Because even with the madness in her life; her father's illness, her sister's off temper, her mother pulling away, and not to mention the state of the wizarding world, Lily Evans always could be counted on to fight for those she cared about._

 _Marlene knew Lily and Remus were friends as well. Even with her warming up to James and Sirius, and mothering Peter in that way she did so well, Remus was the one she had bonded to first._

 _It probably didn't help if James had spent the first six years being a prat to her, and asking her out almost regularly for the last three of them, and Sirius was, well, Sirius Black. She knew James genuinely cared about her friend, but was approaching her all wrong. He was a good person under his cool exterior; she had known him long enough to know that. The last year had been different in the sense that the boys had taken to hexing less people. With the wizarding world slowly being filled with chaos, the last thing anyone needed was a few boys hexing people unnecessarily. They still resorted to pranking others, especially, those who had been found cursing other students for blood purity._

 _She was slightly jealous of the fact that Lily was such close friends with Remus however. She talked to him between classes and at meals, and every now and then she would find herself talking to him in the common room, but she wanted more. She wanted to spend more of her time with Remus and she had no idea why._

 _It was probably because it was a newish friendship, and she genuinely enjoyed getting to know him. He had a way of making her laugh, and she genuinely enjoyed his company._

 _"You look like you're in a world of your own," Remus spoke, bringing her out of her thoughts. They were eating breakfast in the Great Hall, and the meal was slowly coming to a close. Lily and Mary had gone ahead to ask Professor McGonagall some questions before class, and the other three members of the Marauders were probably still asleep._

 _She blushed slightly, "Sorry, I was just thinking."_

 _He smiled at that, "We probably should be headed off to class. Don't want to lose any points now, do we?"_

 _She laughed at that, "Unlike the boys who are going to lose five each."_

 _"With a side of detention when they give McGonagall some cheek," Remus said as he helped her up. Her hand brushed against his as she stood on her feet and she noted the feel of roughness against her own soft skin._

 _"Probably," she grinned as the two of them headed out of the hall, "Do you reckon poor Peter will be dragged into detention as well?"_

 _"Depends if he's the one giving the cheek or not," Remus said, causing her to laugh. While the boy was mostly timid, he had been known to make the odd remark every so often, causing several professors to nearly let him off from the shock of it all. However they soon recovered and while Peter was high fiving his friends, they assigned him detentions._

 _"Are you going to the Quidditch game this weekend?" she found herself asking, but cursed herself. Of course he was; James was chaser on the team and his friends would often go just to act ridiculous, but also to support him._

 _"Probably," he said as he nudged her lightly, "Will you be there as well, McKinnon? Shall I save you and Lily a seat?"_

 _"Sounds like a plan," she grinned, bumping back into him. He gave her a smile as he met her eyes and she kept hers plastered on her face._

 _"Sirius is planning something ridiculous for the game," Remus informed her, and Marlene felt herself shaking her head._

 _"Tell me it's not something that will land him detention," she asked softly, and Remus simply shook his head in return._

 _"That, would be a spoiler," he teased her, "You're just going to have to wait and see like everyone else."_

 _"Don't I at least get a sneak peek?" she found herself asking as he gave him a cute look._

 _She couldn't help but wondering what she was doing. Remus was her friend, but here she was, flirting away with him like it was no big deal._

 _"Let's just say it's going to go off with a bang," he told her with a conspiring look._

 _Marlene laughed as she tucked a curl of hair out of her face, "Of course it is," she said, as she noted less than an inch of space between the two of them._

 _As they arrived in class, she saw Mary and Lily sitting beside each other as James and Sirius were lounging around in the back of the class. He gestured his hand out to offer for her to slide into the bench as he sat down beside her._

 _She'd had a few boyfriends in the past, but nothing that had lasted more than a few months each. And it most certainly never felt as effortless as it did when she talked to Remus, nor did she ever feel her heart flutter as much as it did when Remus' hand brushed against hers accidently._

 _But the two of them were just friends, and whatever confused feelings she seemed to be feeing would pass soon enough._

* * *

Hermione was sitting on the couch of Grimmauld place, eating a tub of ice cream. It had been a long first day of working with Malfoy and Bill, and all she wanted to do was stay on the couch forever.

If Malfoy noted her inability to focus or the struggle she seemed to be facing as she was drawn to him, he didn't say anything about it. She didn't know what to make of it, so she was trying to make the best of it, and drown herself in the novel she was reading.

Whatever feelings she seemed to have would pass soon enough, and before she knew it, she would view Malfoy as nothing more than a colleague she worked with until the curse was broken, and then she would never have to see him again.

She felt a pang of sadness at that, and rolled her eyes. She was being absolutely ridiculous. She barely even knew Draco Malfoy, yet here she was getting all sad at the prospect of not seeing him once the curse broke.

For all she knew it would take a while for the curse to break, and Malfoy would be stuck in her life for years. Assuming they had that long to break it.

"You look like you're in a world of your own," she heard a voice stir her out of her thoughts. She looked up to see Remus give her a look of nostalgia. "Your mother used to do that; she would block out the rest of the world and fade into her mind as she was thinking of one thing or the other. You could always see her brain spinning with thoughts as she attempted to figure out whatever was bothering her."

As Remus joined her on the couch, she felt her heartstrings be pulled. She had seen her mother's memories and Remus was doing his best to tell her all about Marlene, but it wasn't the same. She found herself wishing that she could have been here, with Hermione.

"Do you want to talk about whatever is on your mind?" Remus asked her gently.

"Work," Hermione sighed, "It's bad, Remus." And just like that, she found herself spilling her guts to him, minus the part where she was extremely attracted to Draco Malfoy. Things like that did not need to be shared, no matter the struggle she seemed to face as a result. Instead, she told him about Morgana and the curse, and what would happen if they failed. She told him that she was working with Bill and Malfoy and how she's afraid they won't succeed.

Her father placed a hand gently on her shoulder, "It's going to be alright, Hermione," he told her.

"How can you say that?" she asked worriedly, "Everyone could die if I don't figure this out. Everyone is at risk, and I have no idea what to do to save them."

He gave her a smile, "Because I know you. You, Hermione, are a clever witch who always beats the odds that are thrown her way. You fight for what you believe in and you never give up. If there is anyone who is capable of figuring out how to break this curse, it would be you. I believe in you, as does Kingsley and the rest of the wizarding population. It's time you start believing in yourself as well."

She took in his compliment and smiled in return, "Thank you", she said softly.

Remus simply shook his head, "I only said what is true. You have your mother's genes of determinism and fierceness. And I can see her in you every day. It's almost as if I was staring at a reflection of her."

"Do you think she would have liked me?" Hermione found herself asking, as she asked what she had been wondering for a while. How would she and her mother have gotten along if she were here as well? Would the two of them have been close? Would she have talked to her mother more of the female problems going on in her life, such as Malfoy?

Remus gave her a kind smile, "She would have loved you. I wish either of us could have taken credit for raising you, but that honour goes completely to your parents. But you and Marlene would have gotten along so well. Marlene was always the friend who fought to shelter and protect others. She and Lily together were a force to be reckoned with, as you and your friends together are. I wish you could have gotten to have known her, Hermione. She was a brilliant, beautiful woman, and you remind me of her every day."

"She has a lot of your traits as well, Remus," Sirius said as he came into the room. "She's compassionate and level-headed, selfless and brave," he said standing in front of them. "You know, it's a real wonder that we never saw it before. She's basically a mirror image, both on the inside and out, of what a perfect mixture of you and Marlene."

Hermione blushed slightly as she took in the praise. She still loved her adoptive parents, but there were times where she felt as if she couldn't quite relate to them due to them not understanding her magic. And with them gone, it helped knowing she still had a parent who cared about her. One whom she could see herself in and related to her, and understood what it meant when she said she needed to crack a curse to save the entire wizarding population.

"Can you tell me more about her?" Hermione asked, "And you, back in school?"

Remus grinned, as Sirius cut in and began telling a tale of how Remus fell in love with the witch, far too quickly and before anyone could stop him. Hermione listened amusedly as Sirius told a tale of how her mother, a beautiful witch, captured the heart of the most logical member of the group without even realizing it.

And later, when Tonks and Teddy came over to join them for dinner, Hermione felt at ease, as she had gained a new family in a matter of a week.

* * *

Draco paced around anxiously as he visited his mother in France, as she recovered from the war and her husband being locked up, he seemed to see her less and less. While he loved his mother still, part of him knew it was for the best. The war had been hard on her and she deserved some time away to heal from it all.

"Draco," he heard a warm voice say as his mother appeared in the sitting room. They had several properties across Europe, so it was only natural that she would stay at one of them, in the country she favoured most aside from England.

"Mother," he greeted. He returned her smile and stood up, before she gestured for him to remain seated.

"Not that I don't love to see you, but you rarely come up here," she said with a frown, "Always so busy with _work_."

He knew what she thought of the fact that he was working a position that she felt had no room for growth or to obtain more power. She wanted him working in the Ministry, or taking over his father's business, which he maintained on the side. Working as a curse breaker was not the most prestigious of positions, and she most certainly did not approve.

But instead of talking to her about it, he decided to talk about what he had come here for. While his father the veela gene, he had all but disinherited him after the war. He knew his father was not impressed that he had ended up fighting alongside the Order and choosing to sacrifice 'everything they had fought so hard for'.

His mother had understood however. She wanted him to live and to survive and she had understood why Draco couldn't fight for a side whose morals he didn't believe in. Hell, he had stopped believing in them after fifth year when Voldemort had all but decided his life was worth sacrificing to prove a point. He had stopped believing in it when he saw muggles killed in front of him. But if he were all that honest with his father, he would say his dissolution of the belief began in first year when he realized that there was not all that much of a difference between those who were purebloods and those who weren't when it came to talent. Part of the reason why Draco assumed his mother understood was because she already knew who his mate was, before it could even be confirmed.

"I found her," Draco said softly.

His mother brightened considerably at that, "Well? Who is she?"

"Hermione Granger," Draco all but whispered. He had seen it coming, but somehow saying to words aloud made it so much more real that she was his mate.

"Have you talked to her about it?" his mother asked him softly. "Does she know?"

He shook his head, "I don't think I would be able to ever bring it up with her cursing me. Part of me just wants to ignore it and hope it goes away."

Narcissa pursed her lips, "You know as well as I do that there is no such thing as ignoring it, Draco. You may choose not to pursue your mate if you wish, but it will not simply go away. All that will happen is that you will have a broken heart and will feel unfulfilled with any other relationship you choose to pursue from here out."

Draco knew that of course.

"Chances are she already knows, or at least feels something as a result of the bond," Narcissa continued. "When your father's gene kicked in, I knew the moment he laid eyes on me. It is confusing if you do not know, but she most certainly feels attraction to you at the very least."

"I just don't want to feel as if I'm taking away her choice in all of this," Draco said softly, "She shouldn't have to be with me because I have a gene which makes us want each other."

"She has a choice," his mother reminded him, "But let me tell you something from the other side. It isn't as simple as the veela bond just establishing itself with some random person. It is far more complex than that. Think of it as a soulmate bond; it finds the witch or wizard whom you are most compatible with, and could be completely in love with and then forms. It takes in both of your feelings when deciding if the bond forms. Whether you admit it to me or not, you had feelings for her back in school, and even now if I am not mistaken. Chances are, she cares about you as well. The bond is made from nothing but pure love, Draco. For it to form, you both must care for each other, truly and genuinely."

"And then the pain will go away?" Draco checked.

"Then it will go away. Draco, I'm not going to tell you that you need to pursue this. I understand why you may feel that this is a delicate matter. Your father may not understand it, but I want you to know that if you pursue this, I will support you in it. And if you need me to come back to England for that support, then I will do so," she informed him.

Draco stood then, to take his leave. He nodded to her as he bid her farewell, and walked to the floo that he arrived by. It would seem that he had a lot to think about.


	7. Confrontations

**Chapter 7**

 ** _June 1977_**

 _Marlene closed her eyes as she shut the book in front of her. She had been studying for finals when she came across an interesting paragraph in her Defense against the Dark arts textbook, and suddenly it felt like everything made sense._

 _At first part of her thought it was a coincidence. It could have been after all. The timing each time Remus disappeared might simply have been as a result of when he had to leave over the time of the month. She didn't remember each time Remus was gone enough to compare it to the cycles._

 _So there really was no way for her to have known for sure. But despite that, she could feel it in her guts. That she had figured out the mystery that had been plaguing her for the better part of the last month._

 _She knew the truth and she was unsure of how to proceed._

 _Remus Lupin was a werewolf._

 _It made sense; he was away for a few days each month, usually around the time of the full moon, he usually returned looking battered and exhausted. His friends always looked on edge when he was gone. He looked on angry whenever the topic of 'half breeds' were mentioned._

 _It didn't help that he was gone for the last few days and she was nervous. Part of her wanted to ask James about it, or even Lily. The two of them definitely knew, but would they tell her if she asked? It wasn't there secret after all. It was Remus', and his alone._

 _It had been a day since his return and in that time, he had looked worse for the wear. He looked as if he hadn't slept in days, and his skin was extremely pale. It hurt her to see him in that condition, and she wanted to do everything she could to help him._

 _But she didn't know how to approach him. Would he be okay with the fact that she knew? Would he be angry that she figured it out? Would he want her to even talk to him about it?_

 _She took a deep breath as she pushed her books into her bag. There really was only one way for her to find out._

 _She walked over a few tables in the library where she saw Remus working. She knew that he was attempting to finish all the work that he had missed due to his absence, and she wondered if this was the best time to ask him. Should she wait until he was less busy?_

 _However she had already made her way over to where Remus was sitting._

 _"Marlene," Remus said with a smile as he looked up from his books. She returned the smile as she sat down beside him. She must have looked hesitant, because he gave her a curious look as he asked her, "Is everything alright?"_

 _"I know, Remus," she said softly, as she put up a spell to allow for them to talk without being heard._

 _"What?" he asked her, looking slightly more guarded at that._

 _"That you're a werewolf," she said softly._

 _"Marlene, what are you talking about?" he asked her, slightly weakly. She could tell he was lying, and trying to brush it off as nothing. If she didn't know him any better, she would believe that he actually didn't know._

 _"You're away at least once a month-" she started._

 _"-Because my grandmother gets sick," he interrupted._

 _"And when you come back, you always look peaky, and battered up-"_

 _"-Because I have a weak immune system," he protested._

 _"And you have secrets with James, Sirius, and Peter, sneaking around the school-" she continued_

 _"-Because we're friends, and someone needs to stop them from going too far"_

 _"And their nickname for you is 'Moony', doesn't that basically just give it all away-"_

 _"-Marlene, it's just a nickname, it doesn't mean anything."_

 _"But I'm telling you all this because it doesn't matter to me," she said with a sense of finality, causing him to shut up._

 _"How can you say it doesn't matter?" he asked after a few moments._

 _"Because it doesn't," she said meeting his eyes. "It doesn't change who you are, nor does it change how good of a friend and a person you are."_

 _"Even if it makes me a monster?" he asked, looking directly at her. She wondered if he expected her to flinch, then wondered how many others had reacted similarly. She knew there were several classmates of theirs who treated 'half breeds' as if they were worse than muggleborns themselves. They treated them like an infliction on mankind, and Marlene couldn't help but wonder how Remus made it through each day of hearing things like that._

 _"You're not," she said, then clarified, "You're not a monster, Remus. You're the kindest person I know. How could you ever think of yourself as anything less than that?"_

 _"Because lycanthropy care how good of a person you are, Marlene. It's a disease that twists one's mind and makes them into something they aren't. It makes you hurt those that are closest to you and causes you to act as if you are an animal. How can you say it doesn't matter that I'm a werewolf?" he asked, causing her heart to break._

 _"Because you, Remus, are not your illness. The wolf that is inside of you doesn't change your traits and who you are. You, Remus Lupin, are a kind person. You're intelligent, and gentle. You help everyone around you without ever asking for a thing in return. And you never fail to be there for your friends and the people you care about. Remus, you're a good person who had an unfortunate thing happen to you. It doesn't make you any less of a person, nor does it change the fact that you're a good person, and my friend," she told him fiercely._

 _He looked stunned at that before giving her a pensive smile, "I don't know what to say."_

 _"Say it changes nothing between us because I know. Say that you're not mad at me for confronting you with this. Say that you'll talk to me if you ever need anything as a result," she said, slightly worried that he would be angry._

 _"How could I get mad when you all but confronted me about how good of a person you think I am?" he gave her an amused look._

 _She looked slightly sheepish, "Sorry. I probably should have been a bit more sensitive about it, instead of confronting you like this."_

 _He placed a hand on her shoulder and she felt herself shiver as he said, "It's okay, Marlene. You handled it far better than the boys did. James and Sirius were bouncing through the walls in excitement, and poor Peter was trying to be extremely supportive about it like he was worried he would offend me."_

 _She laughed at that, "Sounds like them," and they sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments._

 _"Thank you," he said after a moment, "For not reacting badly. For not thinking any differently of me."_

 _She touched his face softly, "Of course, Remus."_

 _He gave her a smile, and she felt her heart flutter at that, as she pulled her hand away. She could see a flicker of something in his eyes, and she curiously wondered what it was. He shifted his chair over closer to hers, as he began to talk about how it happened to him, and Marlene felt her heart break at that. The idea of Remus being attacked as a child seemed horrifying, and she slipped her fingers through his as he told her the tale._

 _When he finished the story, she hugged him, holding him close. She could feel his arms tighten around her, and she didn't want to pull away._

 _Once she did, she blushed slightly, realizing how close she had been to him, and thankfully, Remus coughed and changed the subject, asking if she wanted to study for their Ancient Runes test._

* * *

Hermione sighed to herself as she looked through book after book. It seemed like the majority of books that she had read seemed to be based more on Merlin as he aided Arthur and how Morgana just wanted the crown. Or books that had to do with her talked about how she brought down Arthur through Mordred. There wasn't a lot about a curse, or more specifically, if anyone even knew the curse was enacted, there were few details on the matter.

She was exhausted, that much was for sure. Bill had left to grab them dinner, seeing how they had decided to work for a few more hours before calling it a day, and Malfoy, well, was being something.

They hadn't exactly talked since they had been put on the same case together, and it didn't help that they were barely alone to even have the chance to do so.

Part of her wondered if they should clear the air between them, and talk about what had happened in the past. But another part wondered if that was something she wanted to dredge up. She didn't know what Malfoy stance was on her and her blood status, or if he still thought she was unworthy. If she asked him and he said that his views hadn't changed, it would affect their working relationship, and they didn't have time to deal with that on top of everything else right now.

"I can practically hear your brain thinking, Granger," Malfoy said as he looked up from the book he was reading, and looked straight towards her. "Anything you wish to share?"

She could feel his grey eyes pierce hers, and she felt her heart beat faster.

"Do you still hate me?" she blurted out, unable to keep it in any longer, before blushing slightly at the fact that she wasn't exactly that smooth with her question.

He snorted slightly at that, "Way to jump straight into the deep end, Granger," he said with a shake of his head.

"You didn't answer my question," she said without backing down. "If I'm going to work with you for Merlin knows how long, I think we might as well address our history."

"And if I do?" he asked, giving her an amused look, "What would that change? Would you request to work with someone else? Or would you pretend I didn't exist, working only with Weasley?"

She didn't break eye contact with him, "I would probably hex you," she admitted, "Then tell Kingsley that I refuse to work with anyone who thinks I'm inferior to them. Then I would tell you to grow the hell up."

He looked away as he said, "It's a good thing I don't think that way anymore, then isn't it? You don't need to worry about me, Granger. It's been a long time since I thought of you as inferior or thought anyone with your blood status was anything less than those who are purebloods."

"What changed?" she asked curiously.

He gave her a look, "If you didn't notice, we fought a war, Granger. Everyone lost people they were close to. Caring about things like blood status seemed trivial when you saw people being tortured in front of you and executed simply for being born into what was deemed to be an inferior family. Your view changes when a madman lives in your house and thinks your life is trivial and you can be used as a pawn. Did you know that was why he wanted me to kill Dumbledore? Because he wanted me to die in the process to punish my father. My life, a _good pureblood_ life, as he would have said, was worthless to him. So no, to answer your question, I don't care about your blood status, nor do I hate you. However if you still don't want to work with me, then that's your prerogative, and I would take that up with Kingsley. But unless he says anything differently, I'm not going anywhere until then."

She felt herself get taken aback as he talked about Voldemort. She knew he had stayed with the Malfoys during the war but she had no idea that he had made Draco watch the twisted things that had occurred in that household. It made her sick to think about, that a boy on the verge of adulthood was forced to watch witches and wizards tortured in front of his eyes and be killed.

She wanted to ask if he was okay, but they weren't friends. They were barely even co-workers.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry for how I treated you in school," Malfoy said to her glancing over in her direction. He had rolled up the arms of his shirt and she could see the dark mark faintly on his skin. It was nearly faded, and she supposed in time it would be gone completely. "I know I can't take back my actions completely, and that you have no reason to even consider forgiving me, but I'm sorry."

She gave him a soft smile, "I forgive you," she said simply.

"Just like that? Malfoy raised an eyebrow at her.

Hermione nodded at him, "Just like that," she said, and when she saw the disbelief on his face she added, "You're not a bad person, Malfoy. You were a righteous prat back in school, I won't deny that. There were times where I wanted to hex you into oblivion but refrained since I didn't want to get into trouble, but you aren't that person anymore. The war affected all of us. We grew up far before we had to. None of us are the same as who we were back in school, so to hate you for that still would be unjust of me. And so far, you seem to have genuinely changed for the better, so I'm going to give you a chance."

He smiled at her, and she felt her heart flutter. She had seen him smile a few times back in school when he wasn't scowling at everything, and she had to admit that the action certainly made him more attractive.

"Well then I might just look forward to working with you, Granger," he told her.

"Hermione," she corrected, partially because the surname brought back memories of her adoptive parents, "If we're going to be working together, then you should at least call me by my given name."

"Well then, _Hermione_ ," Malfoy said, as he used her name, "I must insist you call me by my given name as well."

She nodded at that, and when he looked at her slightly expectantly, she added, " _Draco_."

She felt his name burn on her tongue as she said it, and he seemed to be slightly affected by it as well. Hermione wondered if there was a chance that she wasn't the only one who seemed to feel something between them. But she didn't press it.

Fortunately, before she said anything she may have later regretted, Bill appeared at that moment, carrying a couple bags filled with take-out Chinese food. He gave the two of them a look, as if he knew something had shifted between the two of them, but thankfully he didn't press the subject.

After they had finished eating, Hermione spoke, "If we can't find out more about the curse, then maybe for now we should list out all the events that have happened since the curse was cast which led to massive epidemics, worldwide, or at least in England. That way we can know what we are looking for, and what could occur, so we could possibly prevent it if we can't figure out how to break the curse."

Bill nodded, "Sounds like a good idea," he said.

She took a piece of parchment, and using her quill she drew a timeline starting at 500 CE and going until present. Granted, they would be able to account every single epidemic that struck to be a result of the curse, but it was a start.

"Well, in 550 there was the Bubonic Plague," Malfoy, well Draco started, "Which fits when the curse roughly would have been cast."

Hermione nodded as scribbled it down.

"In the 1350's the Black Plague struck England," Bill supplied.

"There was a Yellow Fever outbreak in 1650," she murmured as she wrote in the dates.

"In 900 there was a Malaria epidemic," Draco said off the top of his head.

They continued filling out the chart for epidemics that were based in Europe and when they were done Hermione stared at the timeline in shock.

"There's an outbreak almost every 150 years," she said, "And with the cholera outbreak 150 years ago, we're right on the verge of another outbreak."

Draco gave her a worried look, "We're a few months away from the turn of the century," he told her, "There could be an outbreak in a matter of a few months. What if we can't stop it in time?"

Bill shook his head, "We can't think like that. We need to believe that we have a chance of stopping this, or we don't have a chance."

"Bill's right," Hermione said softly. "As terrifying as this all is, we can't give up hope that we can solve this case. We need to be optimistic. Now we know what we can expect, maybe we can figure out how to stop it. We need to find the origin points of each of these outbreaks. If we can figure out where it started in the past so we know where it will start now."

Malfoy looked at her and Bill with a skeptic look but agreed, "If anyone is capable of figuring this out in time it would be you," he told her directly, "Count me in. Let's stop this curse before it comes to pass once more."

Hermione felt panicked at the thought of the epidemic occurring once more, but shook the thoughts from her head. It would do no good to dwell in what-ifs. All that mattered was stopping it from passing.

* * *

 **A/N:** I know it's not completely historically accurate to attribute the epidemics to be due to a curse, but it fits what I'm going for.

Also, I wanted to say thank you to all of you for favouriting, following, and reviewing this story, and I hope you're enjoying it so far!


	8. Resistance

**Chapter 8**

 ** _July 1977_**

 _Marlene stretched her arms as she leaned back in her chair. It had been less than a day since she had returned home from Hogwarts, and she could honestly say she was glad the year was over. She knew seventh year would be filled with new challenges on its own, but for now all she had to do was relax._

 _And do the assignments she had been given for the following year._

 _But that could wait at least until tomorrow._

 _She closed her eyes as she felt the warm sun hit her skin, taking it in. A nice tan was exactly what she was hoping for._

 _"Marlene," she heard a voice say as all of a sudden she felt the sunlight and warmth being blocked._

 _She opened her eyes to see James towering over her, as he prevented the sun from reaching her._

 _"What are you doing here?" she asked, sitting up in her chair._

 _He smirked at her, "Your mother let me in. You know she always considered me the son she never had. Now is that any way to greet your oldest friend?"_

 _She laughed as she stood up and embraced him, "You're still a prat," she informed him._

 _"A prat you put up with," he said, sinking into the chair beside her. "I see why you were sitting like this, McKinnon. It's rather enjoyable."_

 _"A prat nonetheless," she sighed, sitting back down. "Not that I don't enjoy your company, James, but what are you doing here?"_

 _He nodded as he sat up on the side of his chair, angled towards her. "Remus told us that you know about him," he informed her. "And I wanted to talk to you about it."_

 _"I told him it doesn't matter," she said heatedly. "James, if you came here to make sure I wasn't horrid to Remus then you should know me better than that. I would never treat him as any less of a person because of his infliction. You know as well as I do that it's not his fault."_

 _He looked slightly relieved, "Remus wouldn't tell us what you said. Just that it was none of our concerns, so I was slightly worried. He was being slightly distant about it, like he was hiding something, and well I guess I just jumped to the worst possible conclusion. I'm sorry, Marley," he said, using the nickname he had given her as children, causing her to shake her head._

 _"It's fine," she exhaled, "It's a valid jump to make. Not many people would be thrilled to find out that their friend was a werewolf after all."_

 _"Then what did you say to him?" James asked, giving her a curious look._

 _She blushed slightly, "I might have ambushed him and told him I knew that he was a werewolf, then vehemently told him that he's a good person and he's smart and a great friend."_

 _James laughed as he moved to join her on her chair, "Did he tell you how we confronted him?"_

 _Marlene nodded, as a smile graced her lips, "Way to be excited your friend is a werewolf," causing James to laugh harder._

 _"Seems like it was a lifetime ago," he mused. "But Marlene, I know you're leaving something out of that story you just told me. Nothing in that suggested why Remus was skittish when I asked, and why you blushed a few moments ago."_

 _She looked down, thinking about the fact that she had held his hand, and the hug they had shared. The fact that their bodies were so close and how it had felt to feel his arms around her tightly. And how it had felt realizing that in that moment she felt safer than she had in a long time, despite her tough exterior and Gryffindor ability to rush straight into danger._

 _"You like him," James said simply, stunning her._

 _She looked up in protest and saw him looking at her without an accusatory look._

 _"Marlene-" James started._

 _"I do," she whispered as she felt the realization hit her all at once. "James, I really like him, and I have no idea what to do."_

 _"Tread carefully," he told her, "I love you to the moon and back, Marlene, but when it comes to matters of the heart, you're far stronger than he is. You have the confidence to go after anyone you want. I know neither of you have had serious relationships, but at least you have dated a few people. Remus, well he's a lot more sensitive than he lets on. If you decide you want to date him, then make sure you really want to be with him. It's not going to be easy. He's going to push you away and tell you he's not good enough for you. Or he might try and end it with you if he has a particularly rough full moon because he's terrified of hurting you."_

 _She didn't look away._

 _"But that being said, you would be good for him," James told her. "And he would be good for you. Merlin knows if it weren't for Remus I would have been far more reckless than I already am."_

 _She leaned into him, "I don't know what to do now," she admitted._

 _"I never thought I would see the day," James said teasingly. "Brave, fearless, McKinnon, rendered unsure over a boy."_

 _She hit his shoulder, and James pulled her into a hug, "You let it happen," he told her softly. "You just keep being there for him, and you let the relationship fall into place."_

 _She scoffed, "When have I ever sat back and let anything happen naturally?"_

 _James grinned, "Never. So go get him, McKinnon."_

 _"Like you're getting Lily?" Marlene teased._

 _James frowned as he ruffled his hair, "I'm not entirely sure what to do anymore," he admitted to her, "I know I come off as a prat when I talk to her, and I know she hates it. But it's like every time I see her, I freeze. She hates me, Marlene, and I don't know if anything can change that."_

 _"She doesn't hate you," Marlene rolled her eyes, "Sure, she hates that you hex random people. And she most certainly hates you asking her out every other second. But she doesn't hate you."_

 _"So what do I do?" he probed. "You're her friend, McKinnon."_

 _"You be yourself, Potter," she said to him, "You're a great friend, and there's so much more to you that Lily never sees. She doesn't see the guy who confronts his oldest fried because he doesn't want her to hurt his other friend. She doesn't see the man who helps his friends overcome obstacles. She doesn't see the man who fights for his principles. Show her those sides of you, James. Show her there's more to you than the Quidditch player who doesn't care about anything in life. Show her who you really are."_

 _He looked thoughtful at that, "It's hard to hex people anymore," he admitted, "Before it was light and fun, but with all the darkness at Hogwarts, I don't want to be associated with that. I want to be better than that."_

 _"So rise above it," she nudged him, "Use magic to protect others; not harm them first."_

 _"Good point, McKinnon," he informed her._

 _"You got there on your own," she shrugged. "You're already changing, Potter. That ass you were in fifth year is almost gone. Even last year you barely hexed others. You didn't need me to tell you what to do."_

 _"But I do appreciate it," he grinned. "I probably should go before Sirius wonders where I wandered off to."_

 _"That you should," she laughed._

 _"Come over during the break," James said as he stood up, "I miss seeing you."_

 _She nodded, "Will do, James. Now go, before Sirius accidently burns down your house."_

 _He gave her a hug before heading to her floo._

 _She settled back down in her chair and grabbed some parchment from beside her and using a quill, she began to write a letter to Remus._

* * *

Draco watched as Hermione chewed the tip of her quill. Her hair was up in a messy bun and her robes were slightly disheveled due to the fact that they had been working for several hours already, and quite frankly, he was exhausted.

She was deep in thought as he saw her skimming over pages of a book as was writing notes down in a notebook.

He glanced over at Bill who was doing the same, causing Draco to feel slightly guilty over the fact that he was slacking off.

He had grabbed books from Malfoy Manor pertaining to the subject, and Hermione had found old books in the Department of Mysteries, while Bill had secured some artefacts that he had borrowed from the Gringotts library.

"I'm going to head home," Bill informed them, "Fleur needs some help with Victorie, and I told her I would come home early. Will the two of you be okay without me here?"

Granger barely looked up from her book as she gave affirmation, and Draco simply nodded. As soon as Bill left the room, he dropped the pretense of doing any work. It wasn't that he didn't see how important it was to break the curse. Because he knew how important it was. Oh how he knew.

But at the same time, he was exhausted. He had been working for hours already, or what felt like it. And it seemed like they weren't getting anywhere anyways. All he wanted to do was go home and get relax.

So instead, he sauntered over to where Granger was sitting towered over her, "How's it going?" He asked her.

She shrugged without looking up, "It's going. I found a few interesting points on notes the Minister of Magic had made the last time the curse struck. Unfortunately, it seems as if he was one of the casualties of the Cholera outbreak that occurred that year as a result of the curse, so his notes fell short."

He watched as she pushed a stray strand of hair out of her face. Draco could smell her sweet scent from across the room, and it was driving him crazy. Everything about her was so delectable, and he couldn't help but wonder if she was anywhere near affected by him as he seemed to be of her. Was it worse for him as he was the Veela?

It seemed like every cell in his body was calling out for him to bond with her. If it hurt him to avoid Granger, being in her presence for hours each day was draining.

To be honest, he wasn't certain he could be around her for much longer without snapping and doing something about his feelings. He needed to touch her; to hold her and kiss her. He needed her to be his.

But the rationale part of his mind was resisting, saying he needed to be strong. Saying he needed to not do a thing until she was comfortable and willing to be with him. Hell, he didn't even know if she saw him as anything other than the co-worker she was forced to work with to prevent a curse of a disastrous magnitude coming to pass once more.

And did he ever need to break this curse. If he couldn't have her in his life, then he needed her as far out of it as possible.

He watched her chest heave as she took in breaths of air and he wanted to explode.

Damn him and his resistance. Damn him and his idiotic plan of making her fall for him.

He didn't think he could last that long.

* * *

Hermione could feel his eyes burning a hole in her and she felt like she was going to explode. It seemed like everything he did drew her attention further into him. If he realized how affected she was by him, he didn't mention it.

And for that she was grateful.

She wasn't sure she would be able to cope with him knowing how much she wanted him, and how much she needed to do something about the attraction she was feeling towards Draco Malfoy.

So she attempted to fully emerge herself in the book, and block Draco from her mind.

Even if she couldn't forget about him completely, she could attempt to resist the pull she seemed to be feeling towards the man.

And fail miserably.

She brought her attention back to her book, ignoring the man hovering above her, as she read the Prime Minister of 1825 list what he knew of the curse and make note of the references he made to other books. She flipped the page in the diary, as she came across a set of runes.

Hermione frowned as she looked over the picture that had been attached. The pictured runes seemed to come from an old book, and she glanced over them, attempting to use her knowledge of runes to break the meaning.

But as she studied them, she realized that she had never seen anything like them before. The magic in the runes was older than anything she had studied, or based on a different dialect of Latin which the pictures were based off of.

"Can you understand this?" she lifted the picture to show to Draco. He looked interested as he took the picture from her and scanned the image with his eyes.

"I don't think I've ever seen anything like this," he admitted, "We definitely did not learn these in Hogwarts, or I'm sure you would have remembered."

"We need Bill," Hermione sighed, "He might have seen something like this before."

"But he's not back until tomorrow," Malfoy reminded her, as he leaned in close. She could smell his cologne due to the proximity and she tried to bring her attention back to the moment.

"Should we call it a day then?" she asked him as she stood up, "Maybe I can do some digging around at my place and look through some of the rune translation books I have to see if there's anything in there."

He nodded, "It's getting rather late." He summoned her jacket as he placed it around her, and she felt her heart beat faster as he did so.

"Thanks," she said softly as rushed out of the Ministry. She needed to get out of there, before she did something she would later come to regret.

* * *

"Is everything okay, Hermione?" Remus asked, breaking her out of her thoughts, "You look like you're a million years away."

She sighed softly, "It's work. I just have a lot going on I guess."

"Because of the curse?" Remus probed her, "You know, we can talk to Kingsley and get him to assign more witches and wizards to your team. The more of you there are, the more likely you are to break it."

"There's that," she said, "But I'm not sure if more people will help. If too many people know, then it could create a panic. But at the same time, I'm not sure if there even is a way to break the curse. What if it's just one of those things that are unbreakable?"

"There's no such thing as an unbreakable curse, Hermione, you know that as well as I do. Do you want me to come in and consult with you? That way you're not bringing in people who you don't know, and you can have more brains working on the task," he asked.

"That would be great, actually," she said softly, then stopped. Would he notice her attraction to Malfoy if he came in? Would he be able to sense the change in her behaviour around him?

"That's not all, is it?" Remus asked, sensing the fact that she was acting skittish.

She debated lying and saying that there was nothing else going on. He was her father; would he want to hear about the fact that she was having issues concentrating at work because she was attracted to her co-worker? Especially when the co-worker in question was Draco Malfoy?

"Hermione?" he asked, glancing carefully at her.

"No," she sighed, "I uh, well, I might have a problem with one of my co-workers."

"Bill?" Remus furrowed his brow.

"No; it's, uh, well, Draco Malfoy," she said softly.

"Has he done something?" Remus asked, concerned. She could sense tension bubbling under his calm exterior, so she quickly reassured him.

"It's not like that. We talked and have gotten over what happened in the past between us. So it's not that. I just, well," she blushed.

"Feel something towards him?" Remus supplied carefully.

"Possibly?" she asked, "I don't know. It's stupid. It probably will pass anyways. I'm not even sure why I'm telling you about it."

"I'm glad you are," he chuckled. "I can't say I'm ecstatic that my daughter feels something toward Draco Malfoy, but if you say he's changed, then I believe you. And if you want to date him, then I'll give you my blessing; not that you need it."

"You aren't going to threaten to hex him, or ask if I've gone mental?" she raised a brow.

"Oh hex him I will, if he hurts you," Remus assured her, "I'm sure Sirius, and Harry and Ron, would be more than happy to help. But no, I'm not going to stop you from having a love life. If you find someone who makes you as happy as Marlene made me, and Dora does now, why would I stop you? You deserve that happiness."

She smiled at her father, "I'm really glad you're my father," she said softly. "I could have ended up with a father who wanted nothing to do with me after finding out, and I'm glad that I got you."

He gave her a light hug as he said, "I'm glad you're my daughter. I'm not going to lie; I wish I knew about you sooner, but I'm glad I know about you, Hermione."

She leaned into him as she felt the worries she had been feeling slowly fade away.


	9. Curses

**Chapter 9**

 ** _August 1977_**

Dear Marlene,

I must admit I found your last letter rather amusing. Did James really had stuffed lion when he was younger? Did he actually make the noises you specified, or was that just a nice flourish? Either way, it's safe to say that neither Sirius nor I shall be letting that go any time soon. Please, if you have any other stories from his childhood, I would love to hear them.

However that being said, James had quite a few stories to share about you as well. But what he told me, I shall keep in confidence to keep you guessing.

I cannot wait until you come over to visit, Marlene. Don't get me wrong, I love the boys like they were my own brother, however I do miss your company.

Now, I must go, as James seems to be annoying Sirius about something or the other, and the two of them need me to mediate.

I shall see you when you get here in the morning,

Remus

 _Marlene grinned as she tossed the letter onto the bed. She was finishing packing up a suitcase filled with clothes for a few weeks. She was going to spend the remainder of the summer over at James' home. Her mother had taken a bit of convincing about it, as she was displeased that her daughter had just gotten home after ten months away at school, and now she wanted to head over to see the people she lived with almost full time. However her father had reassured her mother and told Marlene to have fun at her friends, but she was expected to write to them at least once every few days to let them know what her an the boys were getting up to._

 _She closed the lid of the suitcase, and tucked Remus' letter away into her collection of other letters, and as soon as she had bid her parents goodbye, she walked over to the floo and threw a handful of the green powder into the fireplace._

 _When she emerged from the other end she wasn't all that sure what she should have expected James and Sirius running around the room, tossing hexes at each other, while Peter cheered them on, and Remus watched, and threw the odd spell of his own their way._

 _Peter, whose birthday was at the end of the month, was the only one of their friends who was not yet 17, and as a result, unable to perform magic outside of school. Unluckily for the boy, his birthday fell at August 31_ _st_ _, meaning that the day after he was legally allowed to cast spells, he would head off to Hogwarts where he was allowed to perform magic anyways._

 _"Marlene!" she heard James shout as he dropped the battle, and turned towards her. However Sirius had already cast a spell at him, and James' hair turned a shade of green with silver streaks in it._

 _Remus snorted, drawing her attention to him. She felt herself take in a deep breath, knowing she hadn't see him since they were at school and not since James had all but drawn her feelings towards him out of her._

 _After embracing James and Sirius, she turned towards Remus to do the same. He looked slightly amused, but she wondered if it was still in reaction to the fact that James hadn't bothered to revert the colour of his hair just yet._

 _She felt his arms wrap tenderly around her waist as she hugged him tightly. He was slightly taller than her, so her head rested in a nice crook of his neck, and as she breathed in his scent, she felt her heart fluttering softly._

 _If Sirius or Peter suspected her feelings, neither one of them said a thing._

 _Well._

 _Until Sirius cast a hex at Peter, who yelped causing Marlene and Remus to break apart to see what the fuss about._

 _And as such, Marlene got thrown into the cycle with her friends. While they only had a few weeks until school started up again, somehow it seemed as if a lot happened in that time. Sirius dated at least four muggle girls who lived the village where James' house was located, Peter got completely sloshed one night when James' parents were out, and James seemed to look for every opportunity to get Marlene and Remus to spend more time together,_

 _If Remus was suspicious, he certainly did not protest._

 _And while she was already good friends with him, getting to talk to Remus over the last few days, she found herself learning more and more about him. She learned that Remus was extremely interested in Ancient Runes, and that he enjoyed Defence Against the Dark Arts, however unlike James or Sirius, he couldn't see himself as an Auror. She learned that Remus first showed signs of magic at the age of three, scaring his mother. The muggle woman had partially hoped that her son would be like her, however she had been one of the first to embrace his magic. And she had been by his side when he was bitten._

 _However his mother had died over the past summer in a car accident._

 _Her heart had broken as he told the story; she assumed his friends had known, however Remus' had never brought it up while they were at school, and she couldn't help but slip her hand through his to try and comfort him._

 _He had smiled at her, and towards the end of the summer, the small touching from hands grazing had evolved to him picking her up or tickling her, and she had moved to touching his face, or placing her arms around his waist._

 _The most shocking moment of the summer was when James got his letter from Hogwarts, and a shiny badge fell out, marking her friend as Head Boy._

 _"I think Dumbledore made a mistake," James had said, staring at the letter in shock, "There's no way this was meant for me. Remus, I think I opened up your letter by accident."_

 _As Remus laughed and shook his head, Sirius immediately began teasing James, while James attempted to make sense of what had happened._

 _While there was no doubt that the witch in their year who made Head Girl would be Lily Evans, there was a debate over the Head Boy._

 _Later, when she asked Remus about it, he had merely shrugged. Dumbledore had taken him aside the prior year and asked if Remus wanted the position, as generally it went to one of the prefects in the year. However he had declined, saying that between the duties and his lycanthropy and school work, there was no way he would be able to achieve a balance between all of it._

 _James, however much of a shock it might have been, was a very likely choice. Her friend had a way of inspiring others and when he wanted to, he took on a leadership role in the school._

 _When Marlene boarded the train at the very end of the summer, she felt something inside of her, knowing that the next year would be much different than anything she's faced before._

* * *

Remus stood over the couch as he walked back into the room. He had been spending more and more time over at Grimmauld place, and he was extremely thankful that his wife was more than understanding.

In all honesty, finding out he had a daughter was a roller coaster of emotions; a daughter whom he had known for the better part of the last six years.

And Hermione Granger was brilliant. He couldn't have asked for a better daughter. But looking at her made him long for the what-ifs and could-have-beens. In another life, he would have known about her. He would have been able to have raised her. And while he loved Dora to death, in another life as well, Marlene might not have died.

Harry might not have been his godson, but he loved the boy. And he had understood Dumbledore's reasoning to send Harry off with his Aunt and Uncle. After the first war had been hard; not only had he lost everyone close to him, but he was struggling financially. His father had offered him a free room, except he couldn't take it. There was no way he could have raised Harry.

Or Hermione either, he supposed. He had been scraping by on a poor wage until Dumbledore had taken pity on him and offered him a job at the school. It was no way for a child to have been raised. And at least Hermione had a happy upbringing with her adoptive parents. At least they had loved and cared for her.

It was more than he could have asked for.

But it didn't stop him from wishing he had known about her sooner.

He didn't blame Marlene for it; of course he couldn't. She might never have suspected him of being the spy, but he was gone. For all she could have known, he was dead. He had seen the memories as well, and he knew exactly why she did what she did, and he loved her all the more for having a plan in place in the case something happened.

It also didn't stop him from wishing he had been around when Marlene found out she was pregnant. He could have fought to protect her; to have kept her safe.

When Remus had found out about her death, it had been almost four months after it happened. He hadn't been in contact with her other than for the odd letter here and there to let her know that he was doing alright. She had known about the fact that he had been given a mission from Dumbledore, and she hadn't been happy that he had taken it, but she understood he needed to.

It was because he couldn't contribute anything else. He couldn't get a job due to his lycanthropy, nor did he have money to help fund their fight. He didn't have anything that was useful in any sense, and when Dumbledore asked him to take the mission to try and convince the werewolves in underground England not to join Voldemort, he had taken it.

Marlene hadn't even been able to write him because Remus thought it had been unsafe.

He should have been there for her.

"Remus?" he heard Sirius ask softly as he entered the room, He looked up to see his friend giving him a concerned look as he asked again, "How are you doing? We haven't actually talked about Hermione since it happened, and how are you taking it?"

Remus, "I don't know," Remus said honestly, "Obviously I'm ecstatic to find out I have a daughter," he said softly, "That part is for sure. But a daughter with the woman I loved twenty years ago and whose death I still blame myself for. A woman who was there for me through some of the toughest parts of my young adult life and who was everything to me. A woman who I think about every day. And now I have a little part of her here again."

"You see Marlene in Hermione," Sirius said to him, "I do too. I mean Hermione has a lot of your personality traits, don't get me wrong, but there are so many small things she does, and I just see Marlene in her."

"I just really hate that I didn't know about her," Remus sighed. "Watching Teddy grow up, with his first words, his first steps, and everything he does has been amazing. But I can't help but wonder how Hermione would have been. Did she start speaking from a young age? When did she learn to read? When was her first use of accidental magic? I just wish I had those moments with her too."

"I know," Sirius placed a hand on his shoulder. "The war made us all lose things; family, our health, our friends. It's unfortunate, and unfair. Harry lost his parents, Hermione lost her mother, and her adoptive parents, we lost Peter, and James and Lily, and Marlene, Frank and Alice, and so many others. And I wish more than anything we could have preserved our Hogwarts innocence. That the war never happened and we lived the lives we should have. I hate that it effected the generation under us, and that Harry and Hermione had to continue on in this fight."

Remus nodded tiredly, "As do I," he said looking at his daughter, whom was still fast asleep. "I should move her to her room. Otherwise she'll wake up with a stiff back."

Sirius smiled at him, as Remus carefully levitated Hermione to ensure she didn't feel a change in her resting position, and hovered her up the stairs. As soon as she was tucked in, he turned out the lights, and watched as she shifted in her sleep to get more comfortable.

* * *

Draco tiredly stared at the picture of the runes in front of him. He and Bill had been working on the stone for the better part of the last couple hours while Hermione continued to read other books. She had stated that it was due to the fact that there was absolutely no proof that there was anything concrete in the runes that could be helpful, and in the case it turned out to be nothing at all, one of them had to continue to research.

He could practically sense the disappointment in her tone as she rationalized it.

And part of him just wanted to let her do the translation, however he didn't want to seem pushy on the matter.

"Waves," Bill said triumphantly as he looked up from the translation key Bill had. It was a small notebook in which he had started to take notes in for the meanings of rare looking runes in the case he ever encountered them again and could not remember the meanings.

Hermione looked up from her book interestedly, "Did you figure out one of them?"

"The curse will hit in waves," Bill told her. "It's what the first line means. I mean I paraphrased in some of the other words, but basically ' _curse_ ' and ' _waves'_ are runes in the first line. So we know that much. There's also the rune for ' _death_ ' written in here a bunch of times, so that's absolutely fantastic."

Draco noted his wry tone at the last part with a bit of amusement. If anyone had told him three years ago that he would have a similar sense of humor as a Weasley, yet here he was, working side by side with the man whose family he had grown up hating.

Hermione closed her book, clearly uninterested in it, and curious about the runes, as she came over to see what the book said.

" _Few_ ," she said as she pointed to a rune on the next line as Bill went to scribble the meaning on a separate piece of parchment. "That was one of the basic ones we had to learn in school."

Draco looked at her slightly, wondering how anyone remembered the minor runes. After the first test on it, they had long since moved on to harder runes which were more likely to show up in older texts. But then again, it Hermione Granger he was talking about. If anyone was likely to remember it, it would be her.

" _First_ ," Draco said as he pointed to another rune, "and _'kills_ '".

Hermione gave him an encouraging smile, and Draco felt his heart squeeze. While she had been studying from her own book it had been easier to try and push back the feelings he had for the woman, both the Veela's and his own, but now that she was here working right beside her, he couldn't try and tune her out.

" _'Hundreds'_ "," Bill said as he underlined another rune and wrote it's meaning out on the other parchment, "and ' _thousands'_. I'm not sure I like where this translation is going if I'm going to be completely honesty."

Draco nodded. Unless the picture was referring to cattle or some other reference to a barter system, he was pretty sure it wasn't going to be a great message which was revealed.

Hermione looked at the page in front of her, as she leaned over the parchment and filled in the page with a few more runes, as Bill began to turn the pages of his book to find more meanings. While a few translations had come within the span of five minutes, the rest was taking far longer. Every now and then one of them would find out one of the runes and say it out loud, but other than that, they went back to working in silence as they struggled to come up with the description of the curse as specified in the book the last Minister had left behind.

Draco's eyes kept straying from his page however as he looked up to glance at Hermione every now and then. Her hair had been tied up and she had slight bags under her eyes, but it didn't stop him from being attracted to her.

After what felt like hours, it seemed as if they finally had a full translation on the page before them for the runes in the picture.

 _When the time resurfaces, the curse will hit in waves._

 _The first will wipe out a few unsuspecting._

 _The second will bring shock as the numbers increase to the hundreds._

 _The third will kill those with power and authority,_

 _As the world is thrown into panic,_

 _And only a few thousand are left_.

It was by no means a perfect translation, and he was sure that some of the meanings for the runes had changed slightly in time. But the overall message didn't change.

If anything it only confirmed how it would happen in terms of the curse.

So really, other than the fact of how the curse would hit, they still knew nothing about how it happened, or how to stop it.

But what he did know was if they failed to break this curse, they would be in a lot of trouble.


	10. Insecurities

**Chapter 10**

 ** _September 1977_**

 _Marlene stared out the window of her dorm as she attempted to write her essay on her career path for after she graduated, unsure of what she should say. She knew James and Sirius planned on graduating and having careers as Aurors, while Peter would probably attempt to tag along. Lily would most likely work in either a field involving Potions, or Charms, and Remus, well she supposed he would cross that bridge when he got to it._

 _But on the other hand, she had absolutely no idea what she pictured herself doing. She could see herself working alongside James and Sirius, and fighting to keep criminals away, but she fancied other career paths as well. Part of her was thinking about going into Healing, especially given the number of times she had cleaned up her friends when the Marauders just didn't feel bothered to go down to the hospital wing._

 _Except the fact that it would be a hard and tiring path. The training period was two years minimum, and then she would be thrown straight into a path with minimal time for herself or anything else she enjoyed. It wasn't a career path she could just decide on a whim and was one she knew she would have to spend much, much more time deliberating over._

 _Thankfully for her, McGonagall didn't expect a firm decision, as long as she listed several viable choices. It didn't solve her long term problems by any means, except for now it meant she wouldn't have to think about it._

 _"Ugh," Lily cried as she came into their room and flopped onto the bed. "Insufferable prat."_

 _"What did James do now?" Marlene turned to her friend, and asked knowingly. Because when Lily said those two words, it usually referred to none other than her childhood friend._

 _"Nothing! That's the point!" Lily looked up at her, "Marlene, he's been pulling his weight perfectly as Head Boy. He hasn't hexed any students or misused his power what so ever. The only times he's taken points away from Slytherin is when they deserve it, and honestly, I'm not entirely sure what happened. Do you think someone is polyjuicing as him? What if this is the work of the Imperius curse? Should we do something to check?"_

 _"I'm sure you already cast_ finite incantum _on him and know your answer to that," Marlene said in an amused tone as she threw her blonde hair over her shoulder._

 _Lily gave her a sheepish grin and Marlene knew it meant she had been correct._

 _"I have yet to see the problem with what you're complaining about," Marlene noted, "Don't get me wrong, I love listening to you rant, but usually in terms of James, it involves him actually being a prat, and now being a good Head Boy."_

 _Lily blinked and opened and shut her mouth a few times before looking thoughtful._

 _"You're right," she said slowly, "I don't know. Something seems off about it. Even with what pranks he's pulled with the boys, they've all been tame and humourous; not targeted towards a group of people deliberately. I just think he might be pulling an angle, and I'm constantly on edge as I wait for the other shoe to drop."_

 _"What makes you think it will?" Marlene asked her softly._

 _"I-uh," Lily blushed, "He hasn't asked me out in the month we've been here already. Marlene, he's asked me out every day since fifth year. And every time I see him, I think he's going to ask again, but he hasn't. What if this is him pulling some sort of angle and as soon as I turn him down once more, he goes back to how he used to be?"_

 _"Do you want him to keep asking you out?" Marlene asked, looking over her friend carefully. Lily was still lying in bed, and seemed slightly lost in her thoughts and Marlene grinned._

 _It seemed as if the talk she had had with James a few months ago seemed to have stuck. She had noticed it when she had spent a few weeks over at his place, and while she loved her friend to death, it was nice to see him acting like the person she knew he was all the time, as opposed to trying to put on a cool mask of nonchalance all the time. And apparently she wasn't the only one who noticed._

 _She had seen quite a few of the other students notice as well at the fact that James wasn't misusing his power to simply dock them of points for existing, and if anything, his popularity at the school had only grown over the last month. Anyone who had doubted why he had become Head Boy could grudgingly see why James Potter was the best person for the job._

 _"Has it occurred to you that he might have grown up?" Marlene asked her softly, "Not that he doesn't still care for you, but that he's trying to be a Head Boy you can rely on, instead of constantly having to worry about? One that can help you with all your duties and responsibilities and maybe genuinely be your friend as well?"_

 _Lily blushed at the comment of him still liking her. She knew her friend found it hard to believe that it was anything more than a game whenever James asked her out, and in addition to the obvious reason of her turning him down for being a prat, it was one of the main reasons she kept rejecting him. But Marlene wondered if her friend's views towards James were starting to shift. And if maybe, just maybe, she was starting to fall for her friend as he had for her years ago._

 _Marlene grinned to herself at the prospect of James and Lily finally ending up together. She knew it wouldn't be that simple and that the two would still have a long way to go, but she knew they could get there eventually._

* * *

Hermione had been over at the Lupin home a few times already, but each time she went over, she couldn't help but feel slightly out of her depth. Which was how she currently was feeling while eating dinner with her new found father, his wife, and their son.

Of course, Teddy wasn't doing so much eating, as he was babbling. While her little brother didn't completely comprehend the concept of having a sister, he had changed his hair to match her own brown curls the moment he had seen her, and seemed to be rather happy with her presence.

Not that Remus or Tonks were unhappy.

If anything, the both of them were anything but; they were warm, welcoming, and kind.

While she wasn't able to tell them the full details of her case, or even the work she did as an Unspeakable, she talked a bit of her research with old runes and how old spells had been lost to the times and they were slowly working to bring back spells that could be useful, but had died out due to lack of knowledge, such as a spell to turn dirt to stone, something which could be helpful for poorer families who had difficulty affording upkeep on their older homes.

And while her father and Tonks were listening, Teddy seemed to be watching engagedly to anything she said and Hermione couldn't help but smile at her little brother.

She had always wanted siblings when she was a kid, and Harry was the closest thing she had to her own biological brother. And despite her newfound family, it didn't change the fact that she cared for her friend.

But it was slightly strange to have a brother that was nearly nineteen years younger than herself. Not that she had cared for the boy any less. Just that all of a sudden her family tree, despite none of them being related, seemed a lot more complicated, what with Harry also being the boy's godfather.

"Minee?" Teddy asked her expectantly as soon as the table has been cleared up of food. "Play?"

Hermione looked at Remus and Tonks to see if they were okay with it. And when her father gave her a shrug to indicate if she wanted to she could, and Tonks simply smiled, Hermione turned to the boy and picked him up carefully from his chair.

"What would you like to play, Teddy?" she asked him carefully as she took him to the room where all his toys were.

When she placed him down, the young boy toddled over to where his plush Quidditch toys were which had been a gift from Harry and picked them up and began to hand them to her so she could have some to play with as well.

The guilt began to slowly seep in once Remus and Tonks came into the room and sat down beside her. And as she watched the small family together, playing with toys as Teddy eventually switched to blocks, she felt it grow inside her. She felt out of place; which only grew as her father let Teddy lean into him ever so slightly as his small eyes began to droop from tiredness and exhaustion. And as Tonks put her brother to sleep, and Remus kissed Teddy good night, she felt it pang her heart.

But she kept a smile on her face as she stayed and chatted with Tonks and Remus for a while longer, talking about Harry and if he had any plans to propose to Ginny any time soon, or how Ron was doing in the romance department. And when Tonks asked her slyly how she was doing, and her father started coughing, Hermione blushed, knowing the answer but not wanting to respond.

She took her leave not long after that. It was late enough at that point where heading out would seem more due to time than because she needed to leave more than anything. She hugged her father and Tonks as she promised to come by for a visit soon.

As soon as Hermione apparated to Grimmauld place, she took a deep breath and sat down on the couch. Sirius was probably still out, and hopefully Harry was as well.

She brought in her knees to her chest as she attempted to make sense of her feelings. She was twenty one years old, for Merlin's sake. She should not have been feeling like this! It was absolutely ridiculous and if anything, she was being stupid. She knew better, so why did she feel like an utter child in that moment?

"Hermione?" she heard Harry's voice call out as he came into the room, "What's the matter?"

He looked concerned as he sat down on the couch beside her.

"I had dinner with Remus and his family," she said softly as she looked down.

"And?" Harry asked questioningly, "Is everything alright?"

"I don't know, Harry," she said softly, "I feel so out of place when I'm with all of them. And it's not because of anything they do; Remus and Tonks are so wonderful in trying to make me feel welcome, and Teddy is amazing, even if he has no idea what my relationship to him is. But I feel guilty; like a burden. I feel like I'm a reminder to Remus constantly of the woman he once loved and lost, but is proof he cared about her. And I feel guilty because I think I make him feel bad that he didn't know about me."

Harry had been listening silently, and after, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into him tightly. She leaned into him, as she heard him say, "Don't, Hermione. I'm not going to tell you that this should be easy. That you should just fall into routine with this and that it won't be hard. Merlin knows you've taken this so well so far. Hermione, you might have always known you were adopted, but it doesn't change the fact that you saw your mother's memories and that your father, whom we had known for years, had no idea who you were. It doesn't change the fact that you grew up without knowing where you came from and what the circumstances behind your adoption were."

"It doesn't make it any easier," she said quietly, "It doesn't make it easier to see Remus happy with his new family, without wondering if there even is a place for me. It doesn't make it any easier wondering if you're a burden to your father, because now he feels responsible towards you. It doesn't make it easier that I feel so guilty bonding with Remus without wondering what it could have been like if he raised me, or if my mother was still alive, but knowing that could mean Tonks wasn't in his life and they never had Teddy. How can I eat a meal with them without wondering how things could have been like in a different life?"

"I'm sure none of them would blame you for that," Harry told her fiercely. "I still wonder at times when I'm with Sirius and Remus about how differently my life could have been if Peter didn't sell them out. If my parents raised me and Remus and Sirius came over all the time with presents and such. The war took our families from us, Hermione. I am so grateful you had the Grangers to raise you. But I think about I and I wonder too, Hermione. And now more than ever, with you learning about your father. In another life, you and I could have grown up together, as friends. Your father and mother could have brought you over, and you probably would have been bossing me around from the first moment you saw me, and I would have probably been trying to corrupt me from that moment onwards. In another life, the two of us could have been like siblings, well at least could have been siblings for longer than we already have been. But either way, the two of us were always destined to meet and be friends. Even if we had a rough start in the beginning."

She felt a tear slip down her face at the _what-if_ scenario Harry presented to her, and in that moment she hated Peter Pettigrew for so many reasons; for what he had done to both their families, and what it meant for their futures.

"But what I'm trying to get at, Hermione, is that you shouldn't feel guilty for thinking of how it could have been if things worked out slightly differently. You are allowed to feel that way. I'm sure Remus has spent a lot of time over the years thinking about it in terms of your mother, and probably even more so now with you. It's a natural human instinct. It doesn't change the fact that you care about Tonks and Teddy, and that you're glad Remus found happiness once more," Harry told her softly.

She nodded, "I am," she said to him, "He deserves that much."

"But it also doesn't mean that there isn't a place for you at their table. Sure, it's not a nice typical family, but at the same time, that doesn't matter. Both of them love and care about you, and at the end of the day, that's all that matters. Neither of them view you as a burden, Hermione, because if they did, they wouldn't invite you into their homes. So you need to stop feeling guilty for something which is definitely not your fault."

She took his words in, and let them calm her. "You're right," she said in response. "Of course you're right. I'm sorry, Harry, for sitting here and letting my insecurities get to me."

He grinned as he kissed her forehead, "Of course, Hermione. It doesn't matter who your parents are; you're my sister and I love you more than anything. And never apologise for being sad, or having insecurities. It's what I'm here for."

She smiled at him, and changed the subject, "Well, you'll be glad to know your godson already is showing an interest in Quidditch, even at barely two years old."

And just like that, the conversation shifted to a lighter note.

* * *

Hermione looked over at Draco, who seemed lost to the world. His head was buried deep in a book about Morgana, and his usually well-kept hair was ruffled and there were several strands out of place. And Merlin did he look attractive in that moment, with his hair like that.

It was getting ridiculous really; the fact that she was so attracted to Draco Malfoy and that it was hindering her work to the point where she wasn't able to function properly. So pretending it didn't exist, whatever it was she felt towards him, was irresponsible really.

She sighed softly towards herself, as she attempted to bury herself back in her book, and missed the longing look he gave her completely.

Hermione didn't know how to explain it, but there was something about working alongside Draco Malfoy that she really enjoyed. She liked bantering with him over meaningless things, like where they should pick up dinner from, or where Bill wandered off to now. Because Bill did end up leaving a lot, in an effort to gain more resources, consult other experts in the field without giving away what they were working on, talk to Kingsley to keep him updated, and so on.

She didn't know how to fight it any longer, and honestly, she wasn't all that sure she wanted to fight it any longer. Clearly she wanted the man, and if anything, not doing anything about it was completely obstructing her ability to work. So she took a sudden breath as she came to the realization that the only way to go forward was to do something about the feelings she had towards Draco Malfoy, because clearly pretending they didn't exist, wasn't working very well for her.


	11. Provocation

**Chapter 11**

 ** _October 1977_**

 _When Marlene came down to breakfast that morning, she should have guessed something was up. The boys were huddled closely, and seemed to be talking intensely about some matter or the other. But to be fair, that was usually how the boys looked when they were planning some sort of elaborate prank or something as such. So she shrugged and sat down close by, next to Lily, who was attempting not to glance over every few moments or so._

 _Marlene, on the other hand, wasn't even attempting to mask her glances over at the boys. They were up to something, there was no denying that. She wondered what it could be; every time the boys seemed as if they had outdone their past pranks, their next one showed up and seemed to completely outshine their past works._

 _They were definitely creative, if nothing else._

 _But then the boys started glancing towards her. James looked a little worried, Peter utterly confused, Remus a little annoyed, and Sirius absolutely gleeful._

 _"What do you think they're talking about?" Mary asked as she glanced over, "It looks rather serious."_

 _"Probably some prank or the other," Lily said, attempting to seem disinterested._

 _"Nothing major, I would hope," Marlene said softly, even if she knew in her gut that she was probably wrong._

 _She could hear snippets of their conversation despite the fact that they were speaking in hushed voices._

 _"Absolutely not….Sirius!"_

 _"Just tell her, Mate…..what's the worst that could happen?"_

 _"Sirius, if he doesn't want to….just drop it"_

 _"Someone needs to talk some sense into him…..pining over her….how long is he going to continue like this… I'm just looking out for her"_

 _"Am not pining…Sirius, just drop it…..why are you even making this a thing right now….no I do not want to…I know it's not fair…James, talk some sense into…."_

 _"Sirius, just let it go….if he wants to pursue this, let him at his own pace…..Merlin, Sirius!"_

 _"So you wouldn't mind if….?" And Sirius raised an eyebrow at that. "Well alright then…."_

 _"Sirius!" James exclaimed loudly, gathering the attention of most of the Great Hall. "Mate, don't do it."_

 _"Well he said he didn't mind," Sirius said with a gleam in his eye, as their voices returned to regular volume._

 _And if anyone thought the argument they were having was over, they were sadly mistaken._

 _Unfortunately for Marlene, it seemed as if the attention seemed to turn her way._

 _"Marlene," Sirius greeted, as he slid down the table to be closer to her. He was speaking in the same tone he used when he wanted to take a girl to bed, and that was when Marlene got a bad feeling in her gut._

 _Lily and Mary looked a little confused at what was occurring, and she saw her friends exchange confused looks. Marlene, on the other hand, had a very good idea of what was about to occur, and sadly for her, there was no escaping it._

 _"Sirius," she said cordially, well aware that the majority of the occupants in the room were watching the exchange closely. She could see Remus watching, looking tense, and James looking less than pleased with the entire situation. She couldn't help but wonder what it was that provoked this argument in the first place, and why Marlene found herself in her current predicament._

 _"Would you do me the honour of going to Hogsmeade this weekend with me?" he asked her, giving her a wink. She heard murmurs fill the hall, and even a few of the professors looked slightly interested in the current conversation._

 _She felt her face turn slightly red at all the attention. But before she could give a response of any sort, Remus stood up, looking angry and marched straight out of the Great Hall._

 _Marlene missed James' groan and Sirius looking utterly satisfied, as she stood up, and ran after him._

 _"Remus," she called, as she caught up to him, "Stop, please."_

 _"Why?" he asked bitterly, "Shouldn't you be in there making plans for your date with Sirius?"_

 _"Why would I want to go on a date with him?" she asked, confused. "Remus, look at me!"_

 _"Just leave, Marlene. You obviously want to go on a date with him as well, so why are you even here? Just go back in there. I'll be fine."_

 _"For being one of the smartest people in our year, Remus Lupin, you can be awfully stupid at times," she said with a shake of her head._

 _Before he could respond, she moved closer to the boy and pressed her lips against his._

 _Remus stood still for a few moments, before he seemed to realise what it was that happened and immediately cupped her face and kissed her back tenderly. She circled her arms around his waist as she leaned into the kiss._

 _When they pulled away for air she looked into his eyes and said, "Remus Lupin, in case I didn't make myself clear just now, I am very much into you. And so help me, if you try and set me up with Sirius again, I'm going to hex you."_

 _"He said you were," Remus said softly, "I didn't believe him, but he said you cared for me too. I guess he tried to provoke my feelings out of me."_

 _"Well it worked," she said softly, as her hands trailed up his chest, and his moved to her hips. "Since here we are. Did you really not know?"_

 _"I hoped," he admitted to her, "But I was afraid I was wrong. Girls don't generally prefer me, Marlene. It's usually James or Sirius; they're the ones who seem to get all the birds. Well James would if he weren't so obviously in love with Lily. But it doesn't stop girls from wanting him."_

 _"Then clearly you don't see yourself as the rest of us do," she told him softly, "Remus Lupin, I've heard so many stories from girls who wouldn't mind it if you took them out as well. They call you the 'Strong, Silent Type'. And they pine over you, hoping you would notice or give them the time of day."_

 _"Are you one of those girls?" he asked her with a soft smirk, his confidence returning slightly over the fact that he currently had the girl he wanted in his arms._

 _She grinned as she stood on her toes to reach his lips, "That would be telling," she said before placing a chaste kiss on his lips, "And where's the fun in that?"_

 _He growled as he pulled her in so her body was pressed against his and bent down to kiss her fully on the lips._

 _Marlene felt herself relax into Remus as she let out a content sigh._

 _"So that Hogsmeade trip this weekend," she said softly, "It seems as if I'm out of a date for that trip."_

 _"Marlene McKinnon, will you do me the honour of accompanying me to Hogsmeade this weekend?" Remus asked as one of his hands stroked her face._

 _"Why Remus Lupin, I would be delighted," she grinned._

 _He smiled back, and she felt her stomach somersault at the sight. She knew it wouldn't be an easy road for the two of them. There would be many ups and downs, but Marlene was a fighter. But none of that mattered at this moment. All that did was that she was here with Remus and everything was perfect._

* * *

Hermione had been baking muffins when Tonks came into the house. Harry and Sirius were out at a Quidditch match, and her father had gone with them. They had offered to buy her a ticket, but she assured them that she wouldn't exactly be enjoying the match all that much, and that she would much rather stay at home. She could tell the men were disappointed, but they understood.

"Hermione," Tonks said with a smile.

She greeted the woman in return as she offered her one of the muffins that had just come out of the oven.

"I was wondering if the two of us could have a chat while the boys are out," Tonks said with a smile, and upon seeing Hermione's slightly puzzled look, she said, "It's nothing to worry about, I assure you."

"By all means," Hermione said, as she gestured to the chairs. She had a feeling where Tonks was going with this, and wondered if the woman had sensed just how uncomfortable she had been at dinner the other night.

"I want to start off by saying that I know how difficult this must be for you," Tonks told her softly, "I couldn't imagine waking up one morning and finding out my biological father was a man I've known for a decent part of my life, and I'm not going to pretend to say I know how you feel."

She nodded, unsure of what to say.

"This can't be easy for you, but you've adjusted so well, Hermione," Tonks said in a slightly mothering tone. "I'm not going to try and replace your mother; either one of them. Merlin knows it would be strange if I tried. But I want to be your friend, like we were before any of this happened."

Hermione looked slightly stunned at that, and Tonks snorted.

"Don't think I haven't noticed your behaviour," she told Hermione, "Auror, remember? I don't blame you for it. Merlin, your half-brother is almost nineteen years younger than you, and I'm only six years older than you. Obviously it's a little weird."

Hermione laughed slightly at her attempt to make light of the situation, "It's not that," Hermione admitted to her, "I do want to still be your friend, trust me. It's just that I feel out of my element. I feel like I'm imposing on your family."

"Well you're not," Tonks told her softly, "I know Remus wants to be there for you, and I support him one hundred percent. It doesn't bother me that he loved your mother, Hermione. We talked about her even before he knew you were his. I know he loved her, and I know her death was extremely hard on him. You being here doesn't put a burden on me."

"I don't blame him," Hermione told Tonks, "For moving on from my mother. "It's been nearly eighteen years since she died, and you make Remus happy. And I'm glad; he deserves that much after the life he's had."

"He does," Tonks smiled. "Hermione, what I said still stands. We don't have to give our relationship any weird names. Blimey, I doubt I could even try to act like your step-mother even if I wanted to. Just know that there is always a place at our table for you. Teddy is clearly adores you as his sister, and Remus loves you. So don't stay away because you're afraid of stepping on any toes. You're welcome to come over whenever you want."

Hermione smiled at that. While it had been slightly uncomfortable for her initially, she was glad Tonks came over. While her insecurities had been placed at bay after her talk with Harry, they had still been lingering on the surface as she was left to wonder if she could fit in with the new family.

"I won't tell Remus about this talk," Tonks said softly, "Not if you don't want me to."

"Please," Hermione said with a nod, "He's been nothing short of wonderful from the moment he found out I exist. The last thing I want is to hurt him by giving him any idea of how I felt. None of this is his fault."

"Nor is it yours," Tonks told her wisely, "Now, what do you say that the two of us go do something fun while the boys are out? We could stop by at Flourish and Blotts and pick up some books then come back and read and relax for a bit. Merlin knows I haven't had much alone time since Teddy was born."

Hermione grinned at the suggestion, as she nodded in agreement.

* * *

 _Morgana stood at the edge of the tower as she peered out at Camelot._

 _She loved Uther, she really did, but her late father had a way of making her feel like she was constantly in a prison._

 _She knew Uther had no knowledge of the fact that she possessed a magical gift, and for that she was extremely grateful. For if he had the slightest inkling, she would have been put to death long ago, despite the fact that she was his kin._

 _Not that anyone else in the palace had any idea either. Well; anyone other than Merlin._

 _However the physician's ward was in no hurry to spill her secret, as it would mean that his own was shared as a result._

 _It hadn't been an easy upbringing. Her father had barely acknowledged her as his until a few months shy of his death, and she had had no idea about it either. She had suspected he had taken her in as his ward because he had been in love with her mother._

 _Yet Uther had a way of irking her like no other. It was difficult for her to explain how it was possible to both love and loathe someone utterly, but it was how she felt for the man. She loved him for raising her, but hated him because she knew he would never have been able to clearly accept who she was, magic and all._

 _But the king was dead, and her half-brother had since claimed the throne, and Morgana knew that there was a potential for a great shift in the land. She could convince her brother with the help of Merlin that magic could be trusted, and that magic should be allowed to be practiced. She could convince her brother to remove the laws that Uther had implemented and allow magic to run free in the land._

 _And so she found herself in front of the great sorceress of Camelot, or so the man could have been proclaimed if he refused to stop hiding in the shadows._

 _"Merlin," Morgana said softly, as she argued her points, "Please. You need to stand by me as we talk to my brother. He would listen to us! He trusts you more than anything."_

 _She watched as the man turned to face her. He was not more than a few years her senior, but his eyes looked as if he had lived for hundreds of years. They were wise, and they were kind._

 _Like him._

 _Merlin had been there for her when she had first found out about her magic. He had helped her learn to control it and hone it. He had been everything to her; her mentor, her friend, and well, her lover._

 _"Morgana," Merlin said softly as he stroked her cheek. "You know as well as I do that we cannot talk to him about Magic. He despised it from the moment it killed his mother. There's no way we could just forthright come out and tell him we have powers. Not until we get him to warm up to the idea of magic, and that it could be used for good."_

 _"How is that not hypocritical?" she questioned, "How is it not hypocritical to ask others to come forth and show Arthur that magic can be used for good when his most trusted advisor and sister would be the greatest advocates? Merlin, we could help so many people! Think of the good we could do! That plague we stopped was just the beginning; we could heal the injured, the sick, and the elderly. There would never need to be another famine because we could use old magic to ensure the land was fertile! The Druids are much more knowledgeable, and if we formed an alliance with them, we could save so many people! We can't just sit around watching Arthur execute one witch and wizard after another. We need to help them, Merlin!"_

 _"I know," he told her gently, "Do you think it does not pain me to see our friends and family by magical ties executed one after another? Morgana, it kills me. But none of that changes how things are. Whether we like it or not, Arthur is the King of Camelot, and his word is law. In the future maybe we can sway him; show him magic can be good, but with the loss of his father so fresh in his mind, especially a loss through magic, neither of us would be able to get through to him any time soon. But patience, my love, and I promise we shall reach him. Together."_

 _Morgana sighed at that. Why didn't he see how important it was that they came forward? She understood his point, she really did, but that did not change the fact that the two of them could make a difference. It didn't change the fact that her people were dying because of their gifts. And who knew how long it would take for Arthur to come around? It could be days, months, or even years. How many more people needed to die because of his unwillingness to see the world in anything less than black and white? How many more lives would be lost on all sides in an effort to eradicate magic?_

 _If Arthur continued on his current path then he would only be more betrayed by the fact that she and Merlin had magic, and that they had kept it from him. Would he forgive them in the future? Or would he condemn them to their deaths?_

 _Morgana wished she had those answers, but she didn't. It seemed to her that it didn't matter just how much magic she had, for she was powerless in her current predicament._

 _And she hated that more than anything._

 _So in that moment Morgana swore that she would change things. She would help magic become widely accepted and she would show Arthur that magic could be used for good._

 _Even if it was the last thing she did._

* * *

 **A/N** : I think I mentioned this before, but just in case I didn't, the story of Morgana is going to be altered from the given stories. There won't be a lot of flashbacks for her, but just enough to understand why the curse was cast and how Morgana went from the character she was in the current chapter to the person who eventually casts the curse. Hermione and Draco's relationship will continue to progress, even if it's been slow so far, as will their work dealing with the curse Anyways, hope you all enjoyed, and see you next week!


	12. Adoption

**Chapter 12**

 ** _November 1977_**

 _Despite their dramatic way of getting together, and the gossip that spread in their absence, there were very few people who knew the truth of Marlene and Remus' relationship status._

 _It wasn't that either of them particularly felt as if they had anything to hide, or that they didn't want people to know. They were both private people, despite Remus' friends loving the spotlight, and wanted to give their relationship a chance to grow without outside influences._

 _There were a few people who knew the truth, and those were Mary, Lily, and the boys. Mainly because the moment the two of them walked into the common room later that day, they had been ambushed and immediately questioned. Her friends were rather ecstatic that she had finally acted on her feelings, and the boys were, well, exactly themselves. James and Sirius had high fived Remus, while Peter had told her sincerely that he was glad the two of them had gotten together._

 _They had only actually been together for about two weeks or so, but Marlene was rather happy with the state that their relationship was progressing at._

 _Remus was awkward at first with the whole relationship thing, but slowly, he was warming up to it. He had taken to randomly pulling her into empty classrooms to snog between classes; something Marlene knew she had influenced him to do after she had stayed in their classroom after class had ended just to sneak in a kiss between classes._

 _And Marlene loved it. She loved the late night talks with Remus about everything and anything. She loved him holding her as they snuck into the astronomy tower at night and snogged. She loved how everything had changed with their relationship but how flawlessly it felt like nothing was different. She loved how happy she felt with him._

 _What she didn't love was the fact that she was currently stuck in detention on a Friday night._

 _It wasn't really her fault. There were a pair of seventh years cursing a first year for their blood status, and she had fought back against them when she had seen it happening. She knew McGonagall supported her when she stumbled onto the scene, but unfortunately for Marlene, hexing other students was not permitted, and in order to ensure fairness, Marlene was given the same punishment as the other two Slytherins._

 _It was utterly unfair that the other two students had been given the same punishment. They deserved to be reprimanded far worse, or even expelled if you asked her, that just wasn't how the school worked. That wasn't how the Board of Governors would see it._

 _Thankfully for her, they were all separated and she was left alone in the room to write lines. It wasn't her first detention, nor was it the most time consuming of detentions. It probably was because McGonagall didn't even want to give her the detention, and for that she was grateful._

 _"Marlene," she heard a voice say, and she jumped. She looked around the room, and saw no one there. Confused, she looked around again, before it occurred to her just what was occurring._

 _"Remus," she said, a smile forming on the corner of her lips, "It's safe to come out, don't worry. McGonagall said she won't be back for a few more hours anyways, so I'm all alone here."_

 _And with that, Remus dropped the invisibility cloak that had been covering him, revealing himself to her. His hair was tasselled from the cloak and he wore a wide grin as he circled his arms around her waist and pulled her in tightly._

 _"Not that I mind it, but what are you doing here?" she asked as she ran her hand through his hair._

 _"I missed you," he said simply as he looked at her, "James had head duties, and Sirius was busy trying to convince Peter to pull a prank with him. I think he wanted to convince Peter to sneak into the girls dormitories to steal Emmaline Vance's knickers."_

 _"Of course he does," she said with a sigh, "Why am I not surprised."_

 _"Because it's Sirius," Remus told her with a grin._

 _"Sometimes I wonder if you're the only mature one out of all of them," she said with an amused shake of her head, "I love James and the boys, but I'm not sure how you put up with them as much as you do."_

 _"Years of practice," he said wisely, "And patience. Besides, it helps that they know all the pretty birds and help me get together with them."_

 _"Oh they do, do they?" she teased, moving closer to him, "Do you think they would be able to find some good looking blokes for me? I've been sorely lacking that in my life."_

 _"I'm sure they could figure something out," Remus told her with a twinkle in his eyes, "However as much as I love my mates, I did not sneak into your detention to talk about them."_

 _"Oh?" she feigned surprise, "Then why did you come to see me?"_

 _"To do this," he said before leaning in and capturing her lips with his. She moved into the kiss as she wrapped her arms around his torso and kissed him back. His nose brushed against hers, as she smelled the chocolate in his breathe._

 _His hands roamed her body and she let out a soft sigh as she leaned into him._

 _When she pulled away for air, he continued his kisses in a trail down her body before stopping at a spot at the nape of her neck._

 _"I think I quite like this version of a detention far better than what McGonagall had planned," Marlene said with a gasp as she tugged of Remus' shirt._

 _"So do I," he said knowingly, before pulling her into another deep kiss._

 _They continued like that for a few hours, passing the time with more kissing and just enjoying each other's company. And finally, when her detention was due to come to a finish, and McGonagall was to return, Remus waited for her outside the classroom, and walked her back to the Tower before finally kissing her good night._

 _As far as detentions went, it was by far the most enjoyable one she had experienced. If the past month had shown her anything, it was that she had yet to regret her choice to see Remus romantically, even if it took significant prompting from Sirius and encouragement from James. And if the future was anywhere near close to how wonderful the past few weeks had been, then she was looking forward to being with Remus and their life together._

* * *

Hermione had been reading a book on ancient curses and how they were created when Remus walked into the room. She had taken her work home with her that evening, after a frustrating day of little productivity. Between being unable to concentrate at work, and their lack of progress in general, Hermione was less than please with the amount of progress they had made at breaking the curse. As a result, she had brought her work home with her more nights than one, in an attempt to hopefully find something which could be of use to them.

"Hermione," Remus said, with a slightly worried look on his face.

Wondering what was going on, Hermione closed her book and looked up at her father

"Can we talk about something?" he asked her, as he sat beside her on the couch.

"Of course," she said, with a slight frown, "Is everything alright, Remus?"

"I wanted to talk about you, and more importantly your relationship with our family," he said softly.

And with that, Hermione found herself confused. Didn't Remus want her to be in his life? He had brought her to dinner and allowed her to bond with Teddy and Tonks in a familial way, but had he changed his mind? Had something happened recently in which Remus decided he no longer wanted that?

"I know I said I don't want to replace your adoptive parents, and I still don't, but I wanted to discuss formally adopting you. Or more specifically, re-establishing you as my blood daughter and in the Lupin family."

She felt her mouth go dry, and her earlier panic was replaced with guilt at the direction her thoughts had gone earlier. She felt guilty for even thinking for a second that Remus wouldn't want her in his life, as he had given her no indication that considered her any less than family from the moment he found out about her. Her exhausted mind seemed to be racing, in an attempt to try and figure out what was happening, and unfortunately she could only come up with the worst possible ideas about what was wrong.

"It doesn't have to change anything between us in any more than a legal sense if you don't want it to," he added quickly, mistaking the reason for her silence. "It would mean that you have access to our family vaults, and as Marlene's daughter, you have access to the McKinnon fortune as well. I would be able to legally be there for you in the case of an emergency. It also means that in the eyes of the law, you would be recognized as my daughter formally, and that your blood status would be restored to its correct state of halfblood. I know that last part doesn't seem like any major, and it isn't. I just want to make sure that you would be properly cared for if something were to happen to you or if something were to happen to me."

"Remus," she started, before he said quickly.

"I know you're more than capable of taking care of yourself," he said softly, "You've proved that time and time again, but you shouldn't have to. I want to make sure you're well cared for."

She threw her arms around her father, and he seemed taken aback, but hugged her back too. Even though it had easily been a few weeks since she found out about her birth father, she had been holding back from hugging him frequently. If she were honest, she would admit that the place her mind had incorrectly jumped to later was an accurate representation of how she felt every now and then. Remus had been nothing short of wonderful once he realized she was his daughter, and part of her wondered if it would be easier for him just to pretend she didn't exist. But between him and Tonks, it had been made clear to her that both of them wanted her in their lives, and it was a little overwhelming.

"I would like that," Hermione said softly, as she pulled away. "Remus, thank you. Not only for this, but for being so wonderful about all of this. I know it can't be easy for you to have found out after twenty years that you have a daughter, but you've been wonderfully patient and never made me feel like anything less than your child. Thank you for being my father despite everything and thank you for being patient with me."

"You've been my daughter from the moment you handed me that birth certificate, Hermione," Remus told her, "There was never any question about that. And truthfully, I've always considered you to be like a daughter; between your friendship with Harry and getting to know you for the past six or so years. I want to be there for you and I want you to know that you can turn to me if you ever were to need anything."

"When I found out my parents were dead, I felt so alone," Hermione said softly. "I was devastated, especially since they died without even remembering who I was. But I don't feel so alone anymore. Having you, Tonks, and Teddy, I feel like I have a family again."

He smiled at her softly, "I'm glad," he told her. "But I need to warn you about something before we go through this process. Right now, there are only a few people who know about this. Your friends know, and the Weasleys know, but if I go through with this, it will become public knowledge. Are you okay with that?"

She nodded, "I've nothing to be ashamed of. Let the press find out. It's not as if they haven't been hounding me since I was fifteen. I can handle a little more publicity."

"I'll start the process in the morning," he told her. "Now I know Sirius and Harry went off to do who knows what, but would you like to come over for dinner? Teddy has been asking about you non-stop."

She grinned as she hopped off the couch, "Lead the way."

* * *

The next day at work, Hermione was left with a smile on her face. She had a wonderful time the night before, and unlike her previous visit, she wasn't left with a feeling of being out of place. This time, she conversed happily with her father, Tonks, and her brother, and when it grew late, Remus drew up a spare bedroom for her, and insisted that while she was more than happy to live permanently at Grimmauld place, he wanted her to have her own room at his home.

"You can't stop smiling this morning," Draco noted as he dropped in a chair beside her. His hair was ruffled and his posture was slack as she took in her appearance.

Unfortunately for her, the night she had with her family hadn't been enough to distract her at work enough for her to be able to concentrate fully on blocking out Malfoy.

It seemed as if he had no plans on ignored either.

"I just had a good evening, that's all," she said looking up at him.

"Did you have a date?" she heard him ask, and she swore she saw his eyes darken slightly. Was there a chance he was jealous? Could he even be jealous? It wasn't as if she had interacted with him too much on a personal level at work. But to be fair, their lack of interaction had more to do with the fact that she was desperately avoiding him. She got there early and submersed herself in work, and left as soon as it was five. "Was it Weasley? I heard Potter was still with Weaselette so it couldn't have been him."

"Ron and I aren't together," she told him straightly, "Nor did I have a date last night. I just enjoyed some time with family. Not that it's any of your business."

"Oh?" he raised a brow, as if he knew more than he was letting on, "And I take it that you had a good time?" he asked, as he sat on the edge of his chair, closing the distance between the two of them slowly.

"I did," she told him, as she swallowed. His silver eyes were staring into her own, and she felt her heart beat faster as she attempted to control her breathing. "Now, if you don't mind, I really need to get back to this research."

"I thought we decided to be friends," Malfoy said lightly, "Yet it's almost as if you don't want that anymore, Granger. I wonder why that might be."

The smug bastard knew. Hermione's eyes flashed as she glared at the man in front of her.

"In case it's slipped your notice, there's a curse right around the corner which threatens our very society. There's no time for your antics, Malfoy. We need to give it our all if we are to break it!"

"I think you're scared, _Granger_ ," Draco enunciated her name. "I think you're hiding behind this curse because you feel something, and you're afraid of what it means. Brave Gryffindor Princess is afraid of this, and in an attempt to pretend she isn't, she hides behinds her books. Where's that lioness from school who foolishly and fearlessly charged straight into danger more times than I can count?"

"Go on a date with me," she blurted out, before covering her mouth. It was as if the moment Draco had mentioned that her ridiculous feelings toward him weren't unreciprocated, she lost the ability to contain anything in further.

Draco grinned at that, "Gladly," he told her with a smirk. "Took you long enough to ask. Here I thought I would wither away at old age before you pulled your head out of the mud long enough to realise that I've been attempting to flirt with you for the better part of the last month, Granger."

"I-uh-what?" she asked feebly, still unsure of what had just happened.

"What type of food do you prefer?" he asked her, "It's only fair that I plan the date seeing how hard it was for you to come to term with your feelings for me. Not that I mind of course. Now I'm a fan of Italian or French food, but if there was something else you prefer, I wouldn't be opposed to suggestions."

"For Merlin's sake," Bill said, looking up from his book with an mock stern look upon his face. Hermione felt herself grow red as she remembered his presence in the room, "I'm glad the two of you finally figured out that there was sexual tension between the two of you, I really am. However could you refrain from flirting here? It's slightly nauseating. Get back to work you two, and you can plan your date on your break when I'm hopefully as far away from this room as possible, and don't have to listen to any of this."

Hermione was still stunned as Draco winked at her before returning to his initial spot. She knew she had decided to act upon her feelings, but somehow she was still in disbelief of the fact that she had just blurted out that she wanted to go out with him. Had that really just happened?

As she tried to re-immerse herself in her book, she felt a small smile forming at her lips as she replayed what had just occurred in her memory.


	13. Press

**Chapter 13**

 ** _December 1977_**

 _Marlene was rather puzzled when Lily had asked to speak to her alone. Not that it shocked her that her closest female friend wanted to talk to her, more like timing was strange, considering the fact that Lily had been acting off all week. She had darted out of her classes as quickly as possible, and she had chosen to attend meals early, and leave before any of them had gotten there. She spent minimal time in the Common Room and rarely had been socializing with any of them._

 _Mary had already expressed her concerns to Marlene, but she wasn't sure what to do about it. She knew there was probably more to her flightiness than simple stress over the amount of work they had due before the holidays, but she wasn't sure how to talk to her friend about it. Lily seemed to be doing everything in her power to avoid everyone, and it had been starting to worry her._

 _Which is why she was so confused when all of a sudden Lily was standing in front of her, saying she needed to talk about something urgently._

 _"Lily, you should sit down," Marlene said softly to her pacing friend. Her eyes had bags under them and she looked as if she hadn't slept in days. "You look exhausted."_

 _Lily stopped pacing and sat down, before saying, "How are things going with Remus?"_

 _Marlene smiled at the thought of her boyfriend and said, "It's going really well," she told her friend, "But I don't think you pulled me here because you wanted to talk about me. Lily, what's going on? I'm worried about you; we all are."_

 _"We?" Lily asked, slightly high pitched._

 _"Well I am, Mary is, Alice has mentioned several times that she thinks you're pushing yourself too hard, Sirius and Peter want to plan an intervention, Remus thinks you need to relax a bit, and James, well he's just wants to know you're doing alright."_

 _"He asked about me?" Lily asked, turning slightly red, and it was like light bulbs went off in Marlene's head._

 _"This has nothing to do with stress over school does it?" Marlene asked, "This has everything to do with James Potter."_

 _Lily looked around their dorm room slightly panicked, as if she was worried the boy in question would suddenly just pop up._

 _"Yes," Lily sighed, "It does."_

 _"What did James do now?" Marlene asked, "Or more specifically, what has James done which has you avoiding all of us?"_

 _"I-nothing," Lily looked down, "Marlene, I don't know how to explain what is even happening. James hasn't done anything other than be absolutely wonderful. He's been helpful with Head duties, he's been a wonderful leader, and during our time together alone when we patrol or make schedules for duties, he's been amazing. He's kind and brilliant, and the time we've spent together has been amazing. And I don't know what to do because I find myself just wanting to be able to spend more time with him."_

 _"So where's the problem with all of this?" Marlene coaxed, sensing she was getting close to getting her friend to reveal what her fears were exactly._

 _"I don't think he likes me anymore," Lily admitted, "I'm not sure he ever did even like me. What if it had all been some dumb game to him, and now he's matured from it? What if I make an utter fool of myself by falling for him and telling him of my feelings?"_

 _"First of all, you could never make a fool of yourself, Lily," Marlene started, "And secondly, James Potter has been in love with you for the last few years. And the idiot that he is, didn't know how to react to it. So he took to jokingly asking you out, because that way if you rejected him, he could brush it off like it was no big deal. I'm not going to lie and say my friend was not an utter prat a few years ago in public. But he's grown into the man he always has been. And I can assure you that he very much still has feelings for you. He mopes to me on a regular basis on how much he likes you, and how unrequited it is. So if you decide you do want to act on these feelings then you know he'll reciprocate."_

 _Lily nodded softly as a small smile formed on her face._

 _"I'm going to say the same thing to him later, but Lily, James is a good guy, who's been through a lot in his life. He's been the brother I never had in my life, so be careful with his heart okay? I'm not saying don't date him and break up because that is a possibility in any relationship. I'm saying don't date him and then realize your feelings for him were nothing more than a phase. You seem pretty into him, but make sure this is something you want."_

 _"I do," she said looking up at Marlene, "I've been slowly coming to terms with the fact that I care for him. I can't say I love him yet, but Marlene, I can see myself having a future with him, and that terrified me. But I want this; I want him. And assuming you're right and he cares for me as well, then well, I guess I'll just have to take the plunge into the deep end, and hope for the best."_

 _Marlene grinned at her friend as she wondered how exactly James would react when he found out the girl he loved for the better part of his time at the school returned his feelings. She wondered if he would announce it to the entire school the moment they got together or would keep it under wraps._

 _Either way, she was glad her two friends had finally come to terms with their feelings for each other._

* * *

 ** _War Heroine Not All She Seems To Be_**

 _By Rita Skeeter_

 _In what seems to be a shocking turn of events, War Heroine, Hermione Granger, has recently had paper work filed for a wizarding adoption. However, it is not her who is adopting any young children, but herself who is being adopted by none other than Remus Lupin. Lupin himself had filed the papers early yesterday morning, and my sources are saying that he filed to have her status restored, and not changed. Could it be that muggleborn extraordinaire had never been a muggleborn to begin with?_

 _The papers he filed claimed her birth mother to be the late Marlene McKinnon, and himself to be her father, making Hermione Granger to be a secret love child who no one knew existed. Could the reason she was raised as a muggleborn have been because her birth parents were ashamed of their bastard child?_

 _Or could all of this be a strategic play to ensure Granger has a future with old familial ties. The McKinnon family is one of the oldest families in Wizarding England, and with no one left in the line, there is no one to dispute her claims. By elevating her status now to halfblood, Hermione Granger would be more welcome to marry into older families than she could have been before._

 _Remus Lupin has already made a partition in his will to include her as a beneficiary in the case of his death, and as sole heir to the McKinnon line, Granger automatically gains access to their vaults as well._

 _While sources claim that Remus Lupin was indeed together with Marlene McKinnon at school, there is no proof of whether the two of them conceived a child anywhere in school or before McKinnon's death, leaving much to speculation._

 _In other words, the timing seems awfully coincidental that Granger's adoption comes just a few weeks after the death of her birth parents. Why did it take so long for Remus Lupin to claim Hermione Granger as his daughter, and why did she allow everyone to believe her blood status was anything less than what it was?_

 _I don't know about you, dear readers, but I am going to make it my mission to get to the truth of this story._

Hermione groaned as she threw the paper across the table to Harry. Of course it would be Rita Skeeter who reported the news of her adoption to the masses.

"What are you going to do?" Harry asked, as he watched her carefully.

"Either I hide behind all of this, or I get out in front," Hermione sighed, "I think I should contact Parvati Patil and give her an exclusive. Otherwise England will only have one side of the story and I'll be damned if I receive any more cursed letters because of that woman."

Harry nodded, "You could probably spin the story for your favour to make it such that you come on top. Now, I have something else I need to talk to you about."

"Harry-" she started.

"Hermione," he cut her off, "You cannot avoid the Weasleys forever. You've barely seen them recently, and I'm sure after this article, they're going to want to see you."

"I know," she sighed, "I just don't think I can take Molly's sad sighs as she goes on and on about what cute grandbabies Ron and I would make together."

Harry made a grossed out face, "Just tell her the truth. That you're not happy with Ron nor is he happy with you. But either way, you're coming to dinner. Sirius is going to be there, and Remus is going with Teddy and Tonks, so if you don't go, you'll be here all alone. And I refuse to leave my best friend alone."

She gave him a look as he pulled the last cards, but threw her hands in the air, "Fine I'll go. But don't think I'm doing this for you."

He grinned but nodded, "Never."

* * *

Hermione stepped through the flames as she arrived at the Burrow. She was holding her breath as she arrived, as if she was worried that the moment she arrived she would be ambushed.

She was right.

"Hermione!" George greeted her as he pulled her into a tight hug, "It's been ages since we've seen you."

She felt herself soften at his words as she hugged him back, "I'm sorry I haven't been by as often as I should have."

"Don't be," he told her seriously, "You've gone through a lot of changes lately, so it's perfectly acceptable that you've been spending some time figuring it all out."

She smiled as she pulled away and greeted Bill and Fleur, along with Charlie, Percy, and Arthur.

As others began to arrive, she drifted to the side of the room as she drank a glass of butterbeer. Hermione grinned as she watched Teddy become amused by Victorie as her little brother was far too young to have realized that he's seen the baby girl before, and tried to communicate with her, only to be heartbroken when Bill explained that she was too young to respond. She wondered if the two of them would grow up to be friends, or even more with time.

It hit her at that moment that any children the family, or even she had, would grow up in a large, warm environment, and that they would have each other. It warmed her heart, as she remembered growing up and feeling so out of place and different.

"Hermione, could you help me for a moment?" she heard Molly call for her from the kitchen, and she dutifully headed over. As she started to carry the dishes to the garden, Molly spoke, "Hermione, I feel like I owe you an apology."

She looked at the Weasley Matriarch in confusion, "What for?"

"You've gone through so much lately, Dear," Molly said softly, "I should have visited you sooner. I should have seen how you were doing after all of this, and I should have been there for you. I feel like it's been my fault that you've been avoiding family dinners."

"Molly–" Hermione started.

"It is," Molly said giving her a knowing look. "I've had a hard time after the war with the losses we've faced, and I've been trying to prevent the loss of any of the rest of my children, including yourself. On some level, I hoped that you and Ron being together would mean little chance of losing you, and I've realized how ridiculous that sounds. Yes it would mean you were officially family, but even without being with Ron, nothing can change the fact that you belong to this family the same as any of the rest of us. And if not being with Ron makes the both of you happy, I can accept that. I only want what's best for you."

As they approached the table set up in the garden, Hermione placed the dish she had been carrying on the table, and as Molly finished doing the same, she embraced the older woman into an embrace.

Molly seemed taken aback, but made no move to pull away.

"Is dinner ready?" George asked as they brought the rest of the dishes over, "Great, I'm starved!"

Hermione grinned as she pulled away and took a seat across from her father, sitting close by to Harry and Arthur. Ginny had been seated at the other side of the table as she was engrossed in a deep conversation with Bill over which Quidditch team Ginny should consider signing with.

"Don't you want to sit with your girlfriend?" Hermione found herself asking her friend.

"Not at the moment," Harry smiled as he watched her talk passionately over the Harpies.

"Am I late?" she heard Ron say as he emerged from the house, "Tell me you didn't all start eating yet!"

"You're just in time," Molly said as she stood to usher her son over, but froze when he saw he wasn't alone.

"I hope you don't mind, I brought a guest," Ron said as he took Luna's hand and lead her to the table.

Hermione smiled as she saw her friend guide Luna carefully and sit beside her. How had she missed the fact that Ron was in a new relationship? She looked over at Harry, who shrugged as he looked just as puzzled as she had, so Hermione took that to mean that he had not told anyone of the fact that he was seeing Luna.

"Of course we don't mind!" Molly fussed as she conjured up another chair and placed it such that Ron and Luna were seated beside together.

And with that, it seemed as the party fell into full swing, with everyone talking, laughing, eating, and enjoying each other's company.

Except Harry who kept looking over at Molly and Arthur nervously.

"Is everything okay?" she whispered to her friend.

"Yeah," Harry whispered back, "I just need to do something, which terrifies me."

She saw him glance over at Ginny who seemed to be in the middle of a conversation with Charlie, Luna, and Tonks about something or the other, before he leaned over so that he could talk to Molly and Arthur.

"I was wondering if I could ask the two of you something," Harry started, looking a little worried.

"Of course," Molly asked as she placed a portion of roast beef onto her husband's plate.

"I know Ginny would kill me for asking, mainly because she would rather I asked her directly, but I was hoping if I could have your permission to marry your daughter. I love her more than anything, and I want to spend the rest of my life with her," Harry said, causing Hermione's eyes to widen in a pleasant surprise.

"Oh that's fantastic!" Molly said, slightly loudly, drawing the attention of the others.

"Mum?" George asked, to which Molly quickly rebuffed it.

"Harry was just saying how he enjoyed the potatoes," Molly said smoothly, earning a relieved look from her friend. And with the laughter that emerged, the other's attention drifted back to being away from them.

"Of course, Harry," Arthur said with a smile, "Welcome to the family."

"She hasn't accepted yet," Harry said slightly sheepishly.

"Thank you for asking us," Molly said softly, "I know it wasn't necessary, and we would have given you our blessing even if you didn't. Harry, you and Hermione are family either way, and the fact that you considered telling us means a lot."

"How are you going to do it?" she asked her friend, and he shook his head.

"I haven't the slightest idea," he admitted, "I was thinking about booking a quidditch pitch for a date, and eating on the ground, flying for a bit, and then later that night, asking her. But I don't even know what I want to say yet. I just know that I want to propose and I want to marry her more than anything."

A smile filled her face as she watched her hopelessly romantic brother attempt to come up with a solid plan.

"That sounds wonderful, Harry," she told her friend, "Ginny is a lucky woman."

He grinned back at her, as he began to eat his food.

Her mind drifted as she thought about her own impending date, and she wondered how it would go. Would she hit it off with Malfoy? Or would the two of them realize that it was only sexual tension between the two of them and that they didn't get along at all? Would they click to the point where she knew from the first date that he was the one? And what would it mean for their future if she realize that he was?

"Looking a little lost there, Hermione," Remus said, drawing her from her thoughts, "Is everything alright?"

She nodded as she smiled at her father, "Everything is absolutely perfect."

With that, she began conversing with the others about the topic on hand. And as she began conversing, she felt whatever worries she had in her mind, floating away. Even with everything that was happening, at least for now it would be okay.


	14. Dates

**Chapter 14**

 ** _December 1977_**

 _She could sense there shift in the Wizarding world was happening quickly. What once used to be offhanded remarks in the Daily Prophet was turning into full blown articles on the hassles of Muggleborns and their purpose in their world. It was turning into students openly demeaning others based on their blood status. It was turning into the calm before the storm._

 _She knew that a war was coming; they all did. But they held their breath, as they prayed it would not come to that. They held their breath and hoped for the best._

 _But it wasn't a surprise that precautions were being taken, and that the world was in a pre-war state. It wasn't a surprise that she never went anywhere without holding her wand tightly in her hand, looking over her shoulder at every turn. It wasn't a surprise that Remus, despite knowing how capable she was, stayed with her so that the two of them could take on any offender together._

 _It wasn't a surprise that Lily and James had to double patrols because students were being attacked after hours. It wasn't a surprise that Dumbledore and the staff tended to be more present among the student body than they had before._

 _Times were changing, and it terrified her more than anything._

 _So when Frank and Alice approached her, she wasn't really surprised. She knew they loved each other more than anything; they had been together since second year after all. They had said that they didn't want to wait any longer, and they just wanted to be married._

 _Neither did the fact that they were all but planning on eloping over the holidays. It wasn't really eloping, as more than half the wizarding world was invited to the ceremony, what with a Prewett marrying a Longbottom. It didn't help that Frank's terrifying mother was in charge of planning the ceremony._

 _Part of her felt sorry for her friend, but Alice had assured her that none of it mattered to her, as long as she was married to Frank. And Alice Prewett was a fierce little thing. If anyone was capable of taking on Augusta as a mother-in-law, it would have been her._

 _Remus had hesitated before asking her to the wedding, and she understood. It was the first event that they would be attending as a couple, and despite his blood-status and her lack of interest in societal norms, it was basically claiming that that Remus was courting her, or some garbage like that, which entailed the notion that the two of them were well on their way to their own engagement._

 _Not that she didn't care for Remus deeply, because she did. She had no regrets about the last few months, and honestly, she could see herself marrying him one day. And let the old witches gossip their sad tales. It wasn't as if they had anything better to do._

 _But he asked her anyways, despite being worried about what it would mean for her, and she snogged him thoroughly at that, as her arms circled his waist and drew his body close to hers. He had simply grinned after that, and made a joke about needing to invite her to weddings more, and before she could protest, he kissed her again._

 _And so they attended Frank and Alice's wedding, hand in hand._

 _When the two of them walked into the gardens, she remembered thinking it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. The Longbottom estate had always been gorgeous, but with white rose petals everywhere, and candles floating in the sky as sections of the garden were draped in white shear fabric, she claimed she had never seen a more beautiful sight._

 _As bridesmaids, Lily and Marlene wouldn't be spending the ceremony with the boys, but with Frank having asked them to be his groomsmen, with James as his best man, and Emmaline Vance as Alice's maid of honour._

 _It didn't help that throughout the entire ceremony James couldn't take his eyes off of Lily, and she seemed to be returning his smile brightly, that one would have thought it was the two of them getting married that day. She wondered if something had changed before the break, but before she could ponder upon it further, Alice appeared at the beginning of the garden. As she walked down the aisle, Marlene could sense old magic flowing through the garden, filling every bone in her body. She wondered if it was like this for the others. Lily seemed enchanted with all of this, and as Alice approached, in her white flowing robes, she felt her heart swell with happiness for her friends. Even stern Augusta seemed to be smiling slightly at her son and almost daughter-in-law standing hand in hand as they recited their vows to each other. She could see magic flowing through their veins in response, and as the wizard who was preceding over the ceremony stated the charm to bind them, a shower of stars fell over their heads._

 _Marlene glanced over at Remus, who seemed to be watching the ceremony intently, and when he caught her staring, he grinned at her. As the couple walked down the aisle together, and the reception began to pick up after a few dances, Remus took her hand in his, as he guided her to the dance floor. She placed her hand on his shoulder as the other was intertwined in his hand, and he placed his own on her waist, holding her close._

 _"You look beautiful, Marlene," Remus said softly to her, as they glided over the dance floor._

 _"You don't look half bad yourself," she teased, as she smiled. He laughed at that as they continued to move together. She felt so at peace like that, as if the two of them had found their place, side by side, and in that moment Marlene thought that if she ever got to her friend's stage where she was ready for marriage, then the man beside her would definitely be who she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. And as he gazed at her adoringly, she wondered if he felt the same._

 _As his mouth descended on hers, she let the thought slip out of her mind, as she stopped thinking about the future, and focused on the present and on Remus._

 _One thing was certain; Marlene McKinnon had never been happier._

* * *

Draco didn't know what to think when he saw the second article in front of him. The first he could have dismissed as mindless gossip that was entirely unsupported, yet now everything felt different, what with Hermione having chosen to give an interview of her own.

 ** _War Heroine Speaks Out: The Truth About Her Birth_**

 _By Parvati Patil_

 _In a strange turn of events, a recent article has come out claiming that none other than War Heroine Extraordinaire Hermione Granger is not a muggleborn as previously thought, but the daughter of Remus Lupin and the late Marlene McKinnon. As this prior article did not paint Ms Granger in a pleasant light, she has chosen to give me an interview to release her side of the story._

 ** _Can you tell me how accurate the story mentioned was?_**

Partially. The truth about my blood status is correct.

 ** _Would you be able to elaborate on what you claim to be true?_**

I only found out recently. I lost my parents recently, my adoptive ones, and I went to their old home here, so I could feel close to them. Marlene McKinnon was my parent's neighbour, and there was proof that she left me with my parents just before she, uh, was murdered.

 **You mentioned that you have proof about your birth parents – can you show me something which proves the validity of your story?**

I have a copy of my birth certificate, and I've witnessed my mother's memories first hand, up until the moments before her death. I can show you the birth certificate if you wish, along with the documents Remus filed to have me legally established as his daughter. In that, the validity of the birth certificate is proved as true.

 **Why now? You're a grown woman with a well established career. If not to boost your standing in society as previously claimed, then why come out with it at all?**

As I said, I only just found out a few weeks ago, so it's not like I could have done this years ago. I mean, I knew I was adopted, just not who my parents were. And honestly, I could care less about what it meant in terms of my marriage. That's not something I'm even thinking of at the moment. I did it because Remus is family. Call it selfish of me to wish I still had a family, legally, after all of this if you will, but it's the truth. I don't care about the money or whatever other lies were spun to try and establish why I did this.

 **The memories you saw; can you mention what the contents were?**

Mainly my mother's school days. How she fell in love with my father, and life with her friends back in the late seventies. It's nice, because I feel like I've gotten to know her in a way, even though she isn't here with me today.

 _As a throughout researcher, I have viewed the documents mentioned in this article, and personally talked to the wizard who drew them up and validated her birth certificate. In any case, this interview provided some much needed insight to the changes in our beloved war heroine's complicated life. And after a war filled with losses, Ms Granger's intentions seem innocent, despite earlier claims. To me, it seems like the witch just wished to be reunited with family, which after the war, can you really blame her?_

"Stop huffing about, Draco," he heard Theo say as he handed him a drink of firewhisky, "Quite frankly, it's ill-mannered."

Draco glared at his friend, "Did you see this?" as he threw the newspaper at the two of them. They were over at his home, as he summoned them due to the crisis he seemed to be facing. Unfortunately for him, both of them were far too amused with the entire situation to be any help.

Blaise snorted, "Of course we have. All of England probably has by now. Is this what has you all worked up? Perfect muggleborn Granger isn't so muggleborn anymore?"

"I have a date with her," he confessed, "Or at least I did before all of this happened."

"Why would you assume it's off?" Theo asked, confused, "It says she's known for a few weeks about her parents. Meaning when the two of you decided to go on a date, she had already known that she wished to go on that date. How does one article change any of that?"

He shook his head, "I don't know. I just feel so uncertain about all of this. I just – hell if I know."

Blaise snorted, "Go talk to her, you dumbass. It's almost time for your date anyways. What are you doing, sitting around sulking with us? Go get ready and pick up the girl you've been pinning over for far too long. And better yet, talk to her about all of this, and find out if it changes anything, because I can't think of a reason it would."

Draco glared at his friends, as he took their advice and headed up the stairs to change. He still did have a date to get ready for, after all. And he would be damned if he allowed this to ruin his chances with the woman he had wanted to date for so long.

* * *

Hermione had spotted Draco standing at the table the moment she had walked into the restaurant. She smiled softly, as he pulled out her chair for her and then sat down after.

"You look lovely tonight," he told her honestly, without any hint of the banter they had going on between them.

She felt her cheeks colour slightly said in response, "You look pretty good yourself, Malfoy."

He raise a brow at that, as the waiter came over and poured two glasses of wine. Hermione looked at him in surprise as she recognized the bottle as one of her favourites.

"I do my research," he said simply, as he raised his glass to her.

She lifted her own in response and took a sip.

"I feel like I need to address the article," she said softly, "I should have told you about it sooner, Draco."

"It's none of my business," he said, a little too quickly.

"It is. We're on a date, and you should have found out through me, and not the little cockroach," she said, anger flitting over her face.

"So it's true?" he asked, sounding curious.

"Does it change anything?" she said, analyzing his face.

"No," he said firmly, "It doesn't change the fact that I've been attracted to you for a long time, the least of which has been our time at work. It doesn't change the fact that I enjoy working with you, and how I feel when you're at ease, lost in one of those books. It doesn't change the fact that I like bantering with you and watching you get riled up. It doesn't change anything of how I feel about you, not if it doesn't change anything for you."

"It doesn't," she said softly. "Not a thing. I'm still a muggleborn in all but a legal sense. I was still raised by muggles and my predisposition will probably always involve thinking of things from their perspective as well."

"It's still a part of you," he said softly, "And that's okay, Hermione. You don't need to give up your heritage just because you know the truth now. I don't think anyone would want that for you."

She felt her heart beat faster as he said that. His words always did have a way of affecting her. The conversation shifted towards them both talking about what they had been up to since they had attended school. He told her how Bill agreed to take her on to train him and how he used the opportunity to travel to foreign countries.

She had sighed wistfully at that, and he had promised her that in the future, should she want to, he would take to wherever she wished to go when he went on work trips, and she smiled. He had quickly thrown in that she could always go without him if that was what she wanted, as if he were afraid of insulting her. She had placed a hand over his at that, to assure him that it was okay.

The conversation seemed to flow freely at that point, and Hermione found herself happier than she had been in long time. It felt so natural with him, and she was enjoying herself immensely.

After dinner, he had walked her back to the entrance of Grimmauld Place. She had offered to invite him in, but he shook his head, "I wouldn't want to intrude. I had a great time tonight, Hermione, and I would love to take you out again."

She smiled as she said, "I would like that," she said softly, as he moved closely toward her.

She felt her breathe catch in her throat as she angled her mouth upwards, and his met hers within seconds. Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck as he placed his gently on her waist.

They pulled away moments later and he smiled at her, "I'll let you go, so you can go inside before you get too cold. See you at work tomorrow?"

"See you at work tomorrow," she confirmed, biting her lips ever so slightly as she smiled. "Good night, Draco."

"Good night, Hermione," he said in a gentle voice.

As she walked inside Grimmauld Place, and took off her heels, she saw Remus waiting up for her on the couch.

"What are you still doing up?" she asked in surprise as she saw him.

"Just wanted to see how your date went," he said softly as she joined him on the couch.

She blushed slightly, as he asked her that, "Are you mad I didn't tell you I went out with him?"

He shook his head, "Of course not, Hermione. My intention is never to try and tell you how to live your life. From the smile on your face, you seem like you had a great time, and if it's Malfoy who makes you feel that way, then who am I to tell you who you can or cannot date? I know you wouldn't be with him if he wasn't a good guy, nor would you sit back and do nothing if he said something stupid. I know you don't need me to act as a father, but I just wanted to make sure you got home safely."

"I had a really good time," she admitted, "We talked all night about things from books, to history, to potions, and everything and anything. It was absolutely wonderful."

"I'm glad," Remus told her with a smile. "Are you going to tell your friends?"

She sighed, "I dunno. Harry would probably be far more amenable to it. And Ron has grown up quite a bit since school, but I don't know how he'll react to Draco. I don't think he would be too pleased though."

"He'll come around," Remus assured her.

"I hope so," she said softly, "I don't want to lose his friendship over this.

"You won't," he told her. "He cares about you far too much to let this come between the two of you. Now, it is getting late, so you probably should head up to bed."

She kissed his cheek softly, "Thank you for waiting up for me."

"Always," he told her, and Hermione made her way to bed.

* * *

 **A/N:** I did a lot of research trying to find out Alice Longbottom's maiden name, but I don't think J.K. Rowling has confirmed it yet. A lot of sources on the internet were guessing Prewett, and I went along with that.


	15. Brewing

**Chapter 15**

 ** _January 1978_**

 _It was a typical Friday morning when it happened. Half the students were still half asleep, as they ate their breakfast. Adjusting after the first week back from their break was always the hardest._

 _Marlene herself seemed to be drifting, as she leaned heavily against Remus. He had an amused grin on her face as he held her close by to himself, supporting her weight._

 _Any notion the two of them had of keeping their relationship quiet had vanished the moment they had attended Alice and Frank's wedding together, but quite frankly, she didn't mind. While she valued their privacy, it was nice not to have to worry about getting caught at every turn. It was nice to just be able to hold his hand in public as they walked to classes together._

 _And while rumours had spread like wildfire the first few days of their return, by the end of the week, it had slowly subsided. It didn't stop the odd student for asking her strange questions about her relationship, such as if she was pregnant, if Remus proposed, or if now she could set them up with one of the remaining Marauders. All in which were quite ridiculous in themselves. She never understood the rumour mill at the school, nor how others seemed to feel entitled to ask whatever it was that they wished._

 _"Marlene," Remus breathed softly, and she looked up at him in surprise, attempting to give him a look which signified she did not indeed wish to wake up quite yet. "Marlene, you should see this."_

 _Something in his voice jolted her awake, as she turned to look the direction he was glancing. She sat up and looked at the front of the Great Hall as she saw Lily and James standing together side by side. The hall had gone quiet, as everyone saw the two of them, waiting to see what happened._

 _James grabbed Lily's hand, holding it in his own, as they walked down the aisle towards Remus and herself, and Marlene felt her mouth drop._

 _She could hear the whispers spreading through the room already, as the speculations began to flow freely. Even those students beside her seemed to be talking amongst themselves about it. Whether it was all an elaborate plan, or the unimaginable had finally happened; Lily Evans had decided to give James Potter the time of day._

 _Marlene could tell her friends both looked slightly nervous as they made their way to the centre of the hall, a few feet away from where she was sitting. But it seemed as if James had other plans, as he dropped Lily's hand, only to scoop her up into his arms, and place a kiss fully on her lips._

 _She seemed caught off guard, but she held his robes tightly, as she kissed him back carefully._

 _Remus let out a soft laugh from beside her, as even Sirius let out a whoop of cheer. She looked over to the professor table, to see Flitwick and Slughorn reluctantly handing over a few galleons to McGonagall as Dumbledore had a twinkle in his eyes at the sight._

 _When Lily and James parted, they approached them as if nothing had just happened._

 _Peter was the first to break under the pressure, as he asked, "When did you two get together?"_

 _Marlene smiled brightly, as she held Remus' hand under the table._

 _"Before Frank and Alice's wedding," Lily said softly. "Before the break even started."_

 _Sirius hit James on the back of his head, "You've managed to keep it quiet all this time? James, mate, I'm wounded. How could you not tell your brother that you finally got the bird you've been half in love with for years?_

 _Lily blushed slightly at that._

 _"We wanted our privacy for a bit, like two others present at this table," James said, giving her and Remus pointed look._

 _"We told you!" Remus protested, "You lot always knew about our relationship!"_

 _"Remus is right on that one," Marlene pointed out, "Find another excuse."_

 _"Fine, we wanted_ more _privacy," James said with a grin._

 _"How did it haappen?" Marlene asked Lily, curiously._

 _"We were doing rounds," she said, as she looked up at James, "And I told him I needed to talk to him. That I couldn't pretend that I wasn't feeling anything any longer, because I was. That I couldn't pretend that everything was fine when it wasn't. I told him that I didn't think he was still the same person he was years ago, or that persona he wore so well. I told him that I was falling for him."_

 _"And I cut her off during her speech," James said fondly, looking at her._

 _"Yes, you did," Lily glared, "I had it all beautifully planned out, and there you went and ruined it all. I didn't appreciate that, just so you know."_

 _"I kissed her," James explained sheepishly, "I've been holding it back for years, and there she was confessing her feelings to me, and I couldn't quite contain it any longer. So I scooped her up in my arms and kissed her."_

 _"That was a couple weeks ago," Lily said, with a soft smile._

 _"So you down played your relationship at Frank and Alice's wedding?" Marlene questioned. "I knew it!"_

 _"How?" James questioned, "We were so careful."_

 _"Maybe," Marlene laughed, "But the two of you couldn't keep your eyes of each other the entire time. And not just in the '_ oh woe to me, my love is so unrequited' _sort of way."_

 _"You didn't say anything," Sirius accused, pointing at her._

 _"It wasn't my place to," she said back in a haughty voice._

 _"We also went to my sister's wedding," Lily threw out there. "Which went about as well as you could expect."_

 _"Oh Lily," Marlene said, her heart sinking. She had heard about the girl's relationship with her sister a few times in the past, but knew enough to know that they did not have a good one._

 _"We'll make it right with them," James told her softly. "Just give it time."_

 _Lily nodded, the smile returning to her face._

 _"For what it's worth, I'm happy for the two of you," Marlene said with a grin, "The two of you deserve happiness, and I'm happy that you found it in each other."_

 _Lily grinned at her, as James have her one of those rare, genuine smiles that he saved for special occasions._

 _"As am I," Remus offered, "I've always thought that the two of you would make a good couple once you both realized it. I'm glad you finally came to your senses."_

 _She hit her boyfriend slightly at that, and Sirius laughed loudly. She knew the rest of the room was still starting intently, trying to figure out what exactly was happening, but she was definitely not going to be the one to offer answers. After all, James and Lily's performance was more than enough to tell everyone what it was they needed to know._

 _"I think the two of you make a good couple," Peter tossed out there, looking genuinely happy for his friends._

 _"As do I," Sirius said, a look of unhappiness still on his face. "I suppose I understand why you chose not to tell us, however it doesn't make me any happier. Just so you know. So next time the two of you even contemplate keeping something from me, I hope you decided not to, otherwise I'm going to be far less than pleased._

 _James nodded, "No more secrets. I promise."_

 _Lily agreed at that._

 _The rumours didn't die out for a month after wards, everyone having their own theories how James and Lily finally got together. And between the combinations she heard, she couldn't help but laugh._

 _It was going to be a trying couple of months while they tried to finish their degree; between the stress of the war brewing, taking the NEWTs, worrying about what their futures would bring, and what career they wished to have for the rest of their lives. But they had love, and they had each other. And somehow, it would be enough. Somehow they would get through this together._

* * *

Hermione sat nervously at her desk. She had been feeling guilty over the past few days for going out on a date with Draco. Not because she regretted him, because she didn't. She had a great time on their date, and she had been looking forward to seeing him again today. But the guilt didn't die down as she thought about how the year was slowly drawing to a close. They had a few months left, before the curse would be hitting full on, and they were no closer to figuring out how to figure out anything major about the curse, let alone how to break it.

And it was slowly killing her, as she felt like she was failing everyone.

Instead of breaking the curse, she was preoccupied with all the drama of her life; from finding out her parents were gone, to finding her birth father and connecting with his family. From learning that her mother had died trying to keep her safe.

To being reunited and attracted to Draco Malfoy.

Was it any wonder that she hadn't been focused on the curse lately? With being as preoccupied as she was, how did she expect to stand a chance at breaking Morgana's curse? How did she expect a chance at helping the world when her mind wasn't even completely focused on any of this?

She wondered if history was doomed to repeat itself. She wondered if it even mattered how hard she tried.

Hermione Granger was the smartest witch of their age. But Morgana, debatably aside from Merlin himself, was the most powerful magic user in all of history combined. How did she expect to come close to standing a chance at breaking a curse Morgana designed to punish England? How did she expect to stand a chance at breaking a curse that all her predecessors failed in doing so?

If anything, it would be harder for her, as sources and materials were more likely to have spread out in the time since the curse was first cast. If anything, it would be more difficult, seeing how details of the curse were far likely to have gotten lost to the years and difficult to find.

"What are you thinking about?" Draco asked, as he walked into the room.

She hadn't seen them since their date, and she felt herself smiling at him. He sat down in a chair beside her, and looked at her pointedly, as he waited for an answer.

She sighed, feeling reluctant at voicing her thoughts, but spoke anyways, "I'm not sure I can do this," she said softly.

"Do what?" he asked as he looked at her carefully. Hermione noted concern in his voice, and she wondered if his mind had taken him to a place completely different than where hers was.

"Break the curse. I'm not sure I'm good enough to break this curse. How can I expect to stand a chance at breaking a curse that all of those before me had failed to do? How do I expect to stand a chance at somehow miraculously being the one who manages to break a curse as old as the time of Dragons wandering free, or magic being practiced freely? How do I expect to stand a chance at any of this?" she said in a soft voice, as she looked down.

"Because you're Hermione Granger," he told her with a soft smile, "Or Hermione Lupin, or whichever last name you might prefer to go by. Because you're still you. And you never give up without a fight. You never back down from a challenge, no matter how hard it might be. You never stay away from anything dangerous, but run straight into it like the Gryffindor you are. Trust me, if there's anyone who is going to be able to break this curse, it's going to be you. And you don't have to do it alone. You have Bill and I, helping you every step of the way."

She smiled softly at him, "Thank you," she told him sincerely. "For all of this. For helping me, and for not making fun of me."

"Never," he told her gently, and she felt her heart beat faster, as he stroked her face tenderly. "Now, we have a curse to break."

* * *

Kingsley sat at his desk, a mountain of paper work around him. In the beginning he used to think that being Minister meant he would be able to make a difference in the world. It had barely been two years since his appointment, but he had been so filled with hope, thinking he could turn the world around.

And he had helped in a lot of ways. He had spearheaded the campaign to brining in every last convicted Death Eater. He had rebuilt the parts of the wizarding world that were heavily damaged by the war. He had tried to keep the peace, to make sure there wasn't a riot when the war ended and innocent people were angry and needed someone to blame for their losses.

He had done a lot, but somehow it felt like it wasn't enough. He didn't want to go down in history as yet another Minister voted out of office by non-confidence as turmoil once again shook the wizarding world. And after the war, he wasn't sure his country would be able to get through it. Not just population wise, because that was another problem in itself. But mentally. The war had done a number on all of them. No one had come out of it unscathed. They had nightmares of the things they had seen; the things they had _done_.

But to have to go through all of it again. Fighting a villain who was long dead. Fighting against a curse that didn't care who it killed. Fighting a monster that was time sensitive. And fighting time itself, as the grains of sand seemed to flow quicker through the hourglass. Did they even stand a chance at fighting what came and killed so many before them?

He needed to believe they stood a chance.

He rubbed his face, as he tried to pen the note he had been trying to write for so long, when knock sounded at the door.

"Come in," he said, his voice rumbling.

"I'm sorry to bother you this late, Minister," a female's voice called out, as a blonde woman entered the room. "You said to come to you immediately if I came across any deaths that were unexplainable, even using magical reasons."

He sat up in his chair rapidly at that, "Well?" he breathed, heart racing as he waited for the response.

"We've had four deaths so far," she said softly, "All within the week. We've been trying to find a cause of death; _any_ cause of death. But there is none. There's no sign of it being the killing curse, and they most certainly didn't die peacefully."

She looked hesitant before continuing, and he gave her a nod to signify for her continue.

"There's magic surrounding the bodies," she whispered, "Old magic. Dark magic. Their deaths were neither natural nor an accident. Minister, something bigger is going on."

Worry filled him as he said, "Thank you, Mary. Please, let me know if you see any other bodies with a similar cause of death."

Mary nodded as she left the room, and Kinsley stood up, walking to the window to look outside. He wondered how long they all had now.

It seemed as if the curse had arrived, and taken its first victims

* * *

In the distance, a man in a dark robe stood as he smiled victoriously to himself. The curse had come once again, taking its first victims, just as it had so many times in the past.

And this time, it would bring far more panic than it had any time in the past. This time, it would bring turmoil and tragedy, as it struck the roots of society. This time, he would be able to help rebuild from the bottom up. He would help shape the new wizarding world, with those worthy witches and wizards who the curse left.

This time, he would be in control.

It was what his ancestors had waited for in the past. It was the chance that Morgana had wanted when she cast the curse. It was the chance that he would take to make the world great again.

It was different in the past; his ancestors simply making it difficult for the curse to be broken, or joining the spread of panic. But none of them had achieved the level of greatness that he would. None of them would be remembered in history as he was going to be.

He smiled to himself, as he could feel the old magic flowing freely all around him in the ruins where he stood. His time was coming, and he knew it. Soon he would be able to achieve the plan that had been millenniums in the making. Soon everything they had fought for would come to pass. And he would pass that same legacy bestowed onto him by his father onto his son, as they carried out the plans Morgana would have wanted. As they fought for the greatest witch, and user of magic, that the world had ever seen.

Mordred would have been proud to at his family line today, to see them achieve his Aunt's dream of bringing England to its knees, begging for a saviour, for anyone to help them. And this was not a curse that Harry _Bloody_ Potter would be able to break. This would be his defining moment.

He would be their salvation, as he led them towards victory. And once he did, he would break the curse once and for all.


	16. Stress

**Chapter 16**

 ** _Februray 1978_**

 _Marlene could tell something was wrong the moment she walked into the room. Hell, she had been sensing it for the better part of the last month. But with a singular look at Remus' face, she was well aware of the fact that something was going on with him._

 _It had been a rough month; what with the stress of NEWTs and their future ahead of them. They were so unsure of what the real world held for any of them, but they were expected to be plunged straight into it in less than a few months._

 _And that was absolutely terrifying. How could they be expected to just graduate and be able to find their way in the world? It didn't help that her mother wanted her to act more like a society girl, and make appearances with proper society during her outings. Nor did it help that she had absolutely no interest in it what so ever. It didn't help that she couldn't walk down the corridors without some arse attempting to hit on her, or curse her. There really was no winning._

 _It didn't help that Remus had a rough full moon a few nights ago. James had warned her that he would be a little off for a few days. But he wasn't just_ off _. He was broody, and miserable. He looked like he was in a lot of emotional turmoil, and it was breaking her heart._

 _"Remus," she said softly, as she approached her boyfriend. He was up in his dorm room, and the rest of the boys had cleared out to give them some privacy. "Is everything alright?"_

 _He looked up with her, with pain written all over his face. "Marlene," he said softly, as she sat on the edge of the bed._

 _"Remus," she said again, "Talk to me, please. You've been so quite lately, and it's worrying me. Stop pushing me away. Let me help you through this."_

 _"You can't," he said, causing her chest to hurt, "You haven't done anything wrong, Marley. This is my fault; my curse and my burden. You've done so much already, but it's all inevitable in the end."_

 _She held his hand and he looked at her with sadness. "I have to let you go," he said softly, "I've been incredibly selfish with everything. I've been selfish thinking that there was a chance I could have a happy ending, but I've been fooling myself all this time. I've been so bloody stupid to think that it didn't matter, and that we could still pretend to have a future despite everything. I've been living in some sort of fantasy world."_

 _"No," she said in a shaky voice. "Remus Lupin, I don't care what sort of pity party you're throwing yourself right now. You will talk to me, and you will talk to me now. You will tell me what exactly is going on, and I'm not letting you throw away our entire relationship so simply. And if you think otherwise, then I'm going to hex you myself."_

 _"Marlene, look at me," he gestured to his body, "I have no future. Who's going to hire a werewolf to work for them? I have to disclose that information straight up, and tell the employers upon hiring. And who could blame them? I'm a monster. I can't take care of you in the future, and you deserve someone who can. You deserve someone who can give you everything you could desire. How can I provide for us, let alone our family?"_

 _She gave him an angry look, "How can you think that? How dare you think that? That I'm some dumb pureblood girl who will end up a house wife. I thought you knew me better than that. I do not need you to_ provide _for me. Dammit, Remus, if I wanted that life, then I wouldn't be who I was today. I wouldn't be following the life I currently am. I don't want it."_

 _He looked like he was going to say something but she cut him off, "I thought I was worth more to you than that, Remus. That you cared about me, and that I'm someone you want in your life. But seeing how easy it is for you to throw me away hurts. It breaks my heart. Is what we have that fragile that you could live without it? Does it mean that little to you?"_

 _"Of course it doesn't," he said, voice escalating, "Why can't you see that I'm trying to do what's best for you? Why can't you see that I'm trying to give you the future you deserve? Because you deserve so much more than a man like me, Marlene. You deserve someone who is so much more. A man who is whole, and not some broken degenerate like me, who has no bloody future-"_

 _She cut him off with a loud, "Stop," as hot, angry tears began to form at her eyes. "Remus, if you want to end this, then know this. You're not ending this for me. You're ending this because it's what's best for you. You're ending this because you're afraid. It's not going to be easy between us. And sure, we may have more hurdles to face as we go out into the real world, but that what one does when one cares about another person. So if you want to throw us away like it's nothing, then go ahead. But I'm willing to fight for our future. I'm willing to fight for us, because I love you, and I don't want to live a life without you. Tell me right now if you want this to end; tell me honestly. I'll walk out that door, and leave you alone."_

 _He moved to wipe her tears, as she cried, and she could see that he was hurting as he did so. He wrapped his arms around her and brought her in for a tight hug. "I love you too," he whispered. "And it terrifies me, Marlene. I love you so bloody much that I can't even think straight. And if you can love me with all my flaws, then I won't push you away. I need you so much. I love you so much."_

 _She pulled away softly and stroked his face, "Please talk to me in the future. I want to be here for you. Not just for all the good, but through the bad. I love you, Remus Lupin."_

 _He held her face as he brought her in for a kiss. She grinned slightly at that, as she pushed him onto the bed and kissed him back fervently as she wrapped her arms around him._

* * *

Hermione turned the page in the diary she was reading. A new shipment of reading materials had come in, from Albus' study and a few other sources, and she had spent most of the night at work, reading over the books. Bill looked like he was half asleep, and she supposed his daughter was keeping him up for half the night, combined with the long hours didn't help.

Draco on the other hand seemed well energised as he poured through the books, trying to read them as quickly as possible to find any sort of solution at all. Kingsley had briefed them on the recent deaths, and she knew her worry about the curse was not unfounded. The curse was coming whether they liked it or not, so the sooner they found something to break it, the better.

She flipped the page in the diary carefully, having just read an entry on the death of Uther Pendragon, and how it had shaken the kingdom.

It was rather strange, reading a rare copy of one of Merlin's diaries. She knew it wasn't the original, but at the same time, there were only a few copies ever created.

She couldn't help but wonder how useful it even was. If Merlin had known anything about the curse, wouldn't he have tried to have broken it back then? Surely he would have. He might have cared for Morgana, but there was no way he would be able to let her continue onto the path they were on. There was no way he would be able to pretend it was all okay.

But what other choice did she have? They were at a dead end otherwise, and there was nothing she could think of doing to stop it. Their only chance stemmed from the hope that there would be something useful in these diaries, so she had to read them.

 ** _April 525_**

 _I must admit I feel rather helpless. I've been talking to Gauis frequently in the past few months, but I am not sure that there is anything left for us to do. I am not sure that it would even make a difference at this point._

 _Morgana was right. Magic is not some curse or evil that the land needs to be rid of, but it seems as if since his father's death, Arthur has become vengeful and hell bent on punishing all those he deems to be responsible. It has been at least two months since Uther's death, but Arthur still seems to be grieving in his angry way._

 _I had hoped he would be more amendable to change as his grief passed on, but it feels as if anything, he has gotten worse. It feels as if he is less likely to ever come around to see magic can be beneficial._

 _And it breaks my heart. I want to be able to look at my friend and know he would embrace who I really am with an open mind and heart, yet I am not sure he would be able to even look at me the same way if I were to ever tell him the truth. What would he do if his own sister spoke the truth to him, and told him she too had magic? He would have both Morgana and I executed on the spot._

 _The people are afraid. A claim of witchcraft or magic could lead to a person's death, and the ways one tests it are insane and inhumane. Those who do truly possess magic fight their death sentences, and thus prove their presence of magic when they try to use it to save their lives. And those who do not have it, muggles, die without a fighting chance, and it still is not enough to prove to Arthur that they were truly innocent._

 _He is my brother, my friend, my ally. Yet I worry strongly. I worry that he may turn into a tyrant. I am worried that I will not be able to change his mind. What if I am not enough to save him? What if the Great Dragon's predictions were wrong?_

 _After all, I was simply raised in a small village and had no formal training of my magic. How can my great destiny that I am supposed to have, even come to pass? It all feels utterly helpless, but I cannot afford to feel that way. Someone in this kingdom needs to remain strong and level headed._

 _It seems as if Arthur has taken to a maiden from the village, Guinevere, who is a lovely and sensible creature. If she were to become his wife, my hope is that she could convince him to soften up to the idea of magic. Because at the rate he is going, he'll never come around to the idea that magic could ever be used for anything good._

 _And I am concerned for Morgana._

 _I love her more than anything, and if she would even have me, I would go to Arthur in a heartbeat and ask for her hand in marriage. However she has been preoccupied lately; not that I blame her. What with everything going on lately. How could anyone even blame her for that?_

 _I am trying to just be there for her; to comfort her and care for her. But she seems to turn me away at every attempt. She demands to be left in solitude, and I cannot help but fear for her, and her sanity. Even Arthur seems to have noticed a change in her demeanour, but has chalked it up to her being in mourning over their father's death._

 _I worry about her. I just want to be by her side, and to have her let me care for her. I cannot do this alone. I cannot face Arthur day in and day out, pretending everything is fine, when I just want to shake him and beg him to stop this insanity._

 _Morgana was right. We should have gone to him when this first started. Before he was on the warpath._

 _Do we even stand a chance anymore?_

 _It doesn't help that Arthur recently attacked an entire settlement of Druids. They had been living peacefully in the forest, away from civilization and with no desires to harm a single soul. But every last one of them had been slaughtered, simply because they were born with a gift. How is it their fault? Magic should not be seen as a curse. It is just the same as any tool; it can be a weapon or a source of benefit, if one simply knows how to wield it._

 _I know Morgana is aware of the attack. It is all Arthur has been talking about; at meals, to his knights, to the entire land. Everyone in Camelot is aware of the attack._

 _But she will not let me in to see her. She will not let me talk to her and make sure she is okay. Because I am sure she is not. I am sure she needs someone by her side, to talk to and assure her that everything is going to be alright._

 _But how can I do that, when I am not entirely sure that it will be? How can I hold her hand and comfort her, as I promise her that we will get through this._

 _How can I find hope to save everyone, when our heroic king is whom we are fighting against?_

 _I sincerely hope it gets better from here on out,_

 _Merlin_

She closed the diary, in worry. If Merlin himself had no idea how to unite the land of muggles and wizards, then how did he ever manage to succeed? It was common knowledge that he had brought them together and they had co-existed alongside one another for a few hundred years, peacefully. What had changed since then? What had happened that Arthur came around, but Morgana had fallen out of grace, as the stories claimed? Why had Merlin chosen his King over his Lover?

She had so many questions, and all the books she had read since that time had been no help. What had truly happened all those years ago? Could it have been that this curse was enough to unite the land against Morgana, yet somehow be enough to make Arthur far more amenable to magic, when it was on his side?

She rubbed her eyes tiredly, and Draco gave her a concerned look.

"You should head home," he said, standing, "We've both had a long day, and it will do you no good to stay here, and work yourself into the ground."

"We don't have time," she protested. "Draco, you heard what Kingsley said; the curse is coming. How many deaths need to occur before we find a way to break it? How many more innocents need to die? If me sacrificing a little bit of sleep is enough to break the curse, then shouldn't I sacrifice that much for the good of the country?"

"If you overworking yourself and tiring yourself out is what you find helpful, then you're mistaken," Draco told her pointedly. "It means your mind will not be functioning at full capacity and that any work you will do, will be far less efficient. Granger, let me walk you home. You need rest."

She wanted to argue, she really did. But she could see the truth in his words. She was exhausted, and she knew he was right.

So she sighed to herself as she stood up, and allowed him to guide her out the door, his hand slipping through hers.

"I know we haven't been going out for long, but I like you, Hermione," she heard him say as they were a few houses away from her own. She could sense him wanting to say more, but when he didn't, she chose not to push it.

"Thank you for walking me home," she said softly, "And telling me to go home. I needed that."

"Any time," he said softly, as he stroked her face. "I'll see you in the morning."

She nodded as she leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss on his lips. His hand cupped her face tenderly, as he kissed her back, and she felt herself melt into him.

"Good night," she said when they finally pulled away, before making her way up the stairs of Grimmauld place, and crawling into bed for some much needed rest.

* * *

Draco stared out the window of his home as he sighed to himself.

Even with the veela genes telling him to mate with Hermione, he could tell he was falling for her, and he was falling hard. They had barely been on more than a single date, and he wasn't even sure one could classify them as 'dating'. It had been a lot of sexual tension and bantering. But that was pretty much the extent of their relationship.

Despite this, he knew that he cared for her. Because he did; even in school he cared for her.

He cared about her so much. Which is why he knew he had to talk to her, before it was too late and they were too far gone in their relationship. He would need to sit her down and tell her the full truth of it all. He had to tell her the truth; that he was a veela, and she his mate. And if she decided she never wanted to talk to him again after it all, then it would be something he would have to live with, even if it broke his heart.

She deserved at least that much.


	17. Revelations

**Chapter 17**

 ** _March 1978_**

 _Marlene looked around the village, feeling let down._

 _She had made all these plans for today, and it seemed as if she wasn't going to have a single thing occur the way she had hoped so._

 _Today was the perfect opportunity to find a present for Remus, with him on Prefect duties and all. He had been disappointed that he hadn't been able to take her out on a date, and while she wished he was here with her, his birthday was coming up soon. And Marlene had absolutely no idea what to get him for it._

 _It didn't help that Sirius was off in detention because McGonagall was not all that pleased with his behaviour in class, and his inability to not make cheeky remarks, or that James was off on a date with Lily. And while she wanted nothing more than to crash her friend's date, she loved them both enough to let them have their time alone._

 _But at least she wasn't completely alone. Peter shared her predicament of being alone during their Hogsmeade trip, and thankfully for her, he was attempting to help her out as they walked in and out of stores trying to get him the perfect present._

 _She had already bought him a few boxes of his favourite chocolate, but at the same time, it didn't feel special enough. She wanted to give him something more; something meaningful._

 _And poor Peter looked exhausted as he tried to offer her suggestion after suggestion, hoping she would like one of them enough to take it._

 _"Maybe this enough," she said, in a half-hearted voice, "Let's face it, Peter. If I haven't found him anything yet, what are the chances I'll find anything at all? Maybe I can make something for him, and give it to him."_

 _"Don't give up yet, Marlene," Peter told her in a soft voice. "We still haven't gone to a few stores, and you never know what you could find there."_

 _"Yeah," she said, in an unbelieving voice. She wanted to still be optimistic, but somehow it all seemed a little disappointing. The worst part was that she wasn't even sure what to get him. What does one even get their boyfriend for their birthday? Was it supposed to be this hard?_

 _She was envious of Peter, who had already picked up a few books and prank items for him, as she wished it was that simple for her._

 _"Marlene," Peter said causing her to look back up at him, "It's going to be fine. Remus cares about you, and he doesn't care what you get him. It doesn't need to be some big meaningful present to convey your feelings for him. He already knows how you feel about him."_

 _"When did you get so smart?" she said, nudging him softly, and he blushed. "Thank you, Peter. For coming with me and going to store after store. I know it hasn't exactly been fun to be dragged everywhere, and it means a lot to me."_

 _"Any time," he told her with a smile. "If it weren't for you, I'd probably have stayed back at the castle anyways."_

 _The two of them walked into the next store; one for rare items and objects, and she wondered if she could possibly find something in the store they were at. She walked down the aisles as she picked up and glanced over trinkets. There were items from old houses which had fallen to ruins, and she couldn't help but feel slightly displeased with how tacky it was to sell items like that. But regardless, she kept looking._

 _"Marlene?" Peter asked her, as he called her name. She looked up as she made her way over to where he was. She wondered if he had found an item, but felt a flicker of disappointment as she walked over and saw him pointing to an article in the Quibbler, a new founded, but often extremely_ quirky _magazine._

 _Until she realized just what Peter was pointing to in the magazine. She looked closely and saw that there was a story claiming to have a 'cure' of sorts for Lycanthropy, meaning that the inflicted individual would not have to transform during the full moon._

 _"Marlene, you could go talk to this potion maker, and find out if it's true! If it works, then think about what this means for Remus. He wouldn't have to transform once a month, nor would he have to go through all the emotional and physical pain each month. And even if it doesn't work, at least he knows that you tried to help him," Peter said in an optimistic voice._

 _"What if it doesn't work?" she asked softly, "The article is in the Quibbler, Peter. They aren't exactly known for their accurate articles. What if I find some potion recipe and have it brewed, and it doesn't work? What if I get Remus' hopes up for no reason, only to hurt him when it fails? How can I do that to him?"_

 _"Because you love him," Peter said softly, "And because if there is a chance you can do something to help him, then you take it, Marlene. If it doesn't work, then it hurts, but at the same time he still has the same emotional support as he did before. None of us are going anywhere, nor are we going to stop being there for him if this fails. But if there is even a chance that this potion works, shouldn't you take it?"_

 _She nodded, as she confused the shopkeeper by asking if she could purchase his copy of the Quibbler. But to be safe she added in a pocket watch, as if the potion failed, she still wanted him to be able to give him something which he could keep._

 _She took a deep breath as she walked out of the store; ready to research the potion. And the next few weeks were painful, as she attempted to get in contact with the original potioneer. But to her excitement, Damocles, the original brewer, had given her a few vials of the potion with the condition that he let her know how it went. As it was still in a trial phase, he wanted to be able to perfect the potion before completely releasing the potion instructions._

 _And Remus was reluctant to try it, afraid to get his hopes up. But she had held his hand as he drank it, and waited close by as he was taken to the Shrieking Shack. They stayed the better part of the night before they returned, careful to make sure the potion worked and that they weren't going endanger the entire school body._

 _He had held her after that and kissed her tenderly, and she had melted into his arms, "Thank you, Marlene," he said softly. "I love you."_

 _She felt her heart flutter at that, as he spoke the words to her._

 _"I love you too," she told him with a smile. "More than anything, Remus Lupin."_

 _He stroked her face as he pulled her into a kiss._

 _The potion wasn't perfect yet; there were a lot of changes that needed to be made, but she couldn't help but feel like it was a sign that she hadn't even known she was looking for. Despite everything going on, she felt like all her fears about the future were slowly melting away, as she wondered if maybe, just maybe, things would turn out alright for them._

* * *

Hermione was reading Merlin's journal still when she saw Draco approach her. She smiled softly as she saw him approach, and closed the book.

"Hey," she said as she placed it down beside her.

"Hermione," he said, his voice sounding nervous, and she immediately sat up in her chair as she wondered if everything was alright with him. "Do you want to go for a walk?"

She felt confused, but she stood anyways as she told Bill they were going to head out for the day. Bill gave them both a nod, seeing how late it had gotten, and she gathered her stuff as Draco waited for her by the door.

The two of them walked in silence for a while before she couldn't take it anymore, and turned to him, "Draco, is everything alright? What happened?"

"I need to talk to you," he said, worriedly. "Hermione I need to tell you something, and I don't know how to say it. I don't want you to hate me for it, but I can't see a way where you wouldn't. I've been keeping something from you, and I'm worried it's going to change everything. But I need you to know that I really do like you, okay?"

"Draco, you're not making any sense," she said, as she looked at his face, "What's going on? What do you need to talk to me about?"

"Do you feel the chemistry between us?" he asked her softly. "The undeniable attraction, the heat. The longing? Do you feel it anywhere near as much as I do?"

"Where are you going with this?" she said, stuttering slightly as her face turned red.

"I know you do," he said softly. "It can't be this one sided. It's not supposed to be. Hermione, I'm so sorry. I should have told you earlier, but I wanted to do it differently. I didn't want this to just be because of my _condition_. I wanted what was between us to be able to blossom and grow, and be something which was completely ours. I wanted better for you. But instead I feel like I've mucked things up all together by keeping the truth from you."

"What is the truth?" she asked quietly. "Draco what are you talking about. What is this about your condition? What have you been keeping from me? Tell me."

"I'm a veela," he said softly. "It's the Malfoy family's biggest secret, so you would never hear it anywhere else. But it's true. The genes kicked in recently, and Hermione, you're my mate. I know this sounds ridiculous. Trust me, I hear myself. But it's the truth."

She let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding, as she tried to process his words. _Mate_. She was Draco Malfoy's mate. She wasn't sure if she should laugh or cry, because the entire thing seemed ridiculous all together.

Hell, her entire life seemed ridiculous. Her parents were dead, her biological father had recently adopted her, she was responsible for breaking a curse which seemed to be holding the wizarding world hostage, and now she's Draco Malfoy's bloody mate as well? It was just too much.

"Tell me this is a joke," she said in a quiet voice. "Tell me this is some sort of sick joke and I'll pretend it never happened. I'll go home and come in tomorrow and act like you didn't just say that. Just say it isn't true."

"I can't," he said, giving her a desperate look. "I didn't want to just spring this on you, Hermione. How would you have reacted if I just walked up to you one day and said 'Hey, so apparently I'm a veela, and you're my mate. And if you don't bond with me, I'll end up with a broken heart.'? You would have hexed me on the spot. I really do care for you, Hermione, and I wanted you to care for me genuinely before I told you."

"So I could end up as the fool with the broken heart?" she whispered, as she looked at him angrily. "Draco, if you're being honest with me, then you know as well as I do that it's not about me at all. Your feelings don't matter in this, because your Veela genes are telling you that we're supposed to be together. It doesn't matter what you want, and apparently it doesn't matter what I want either. You should have told me. You should have given me all the facts so I knew what I was getting into. But instead you chose to do what would be best for you. I thought you changed, Malfoy. I thought you were capable of actually being a decent person. But I should have known better. Instead I let myself get sucked up in whatever this is. If you think I want to be with you because your _genes_ are telling you we're meant to be, you're mistaken."

She turned around to leave, and he grabbed her hand, "Hermione," he said desperately, "It's not that simple! That's not how the Veela bond works! It's far more complex than that. Please, don't leave. Trust me, what's between us is real. It's not just because of the Veela bond. It's because I genuinely care about you."

"Trust you?" she asked, incredulously. "You're trying to tell me that we're destined to be together. How can I trust you after you pretended to actually care about me all this time? How do you know what's between us is even real? You pursued me because of your Veela heritage. Not because you actually wanted me. How can I trust you when I thought _you_ wanted to be with me? I need to leave, Draco. I can't be around you right now."

He let her wrist go, and she turned and apparated. She could barely see, as she felt tears clouding her vison.

"Hermione, are you home?" she heard her father say, as he walked into the kitchen to see her. She didn't respond and when he saw her, worry filled his face. "What happened?"

She couldn't speak, as she tried to calm herself down. She felt Remus wrap his arms around her and pull her in for a hug, and she sobbed into his chest.

After a few moments, she took a deep breathe, and he used one of his hands to wipe her face. "Do you feel like talking about it?" Remus asked her softly, as he sat her down at the table.

"It's about Draco," she said softly, and she saw him tense up.

"What did that boy do now?" Remus asked in a low voice.

"He's a Veela," she hiccupped. "And apparently I'm his mate."

"Hermione," he said speechlessly.

"I thought he really liked me. I thought that we could have had something real between the two of us. That we could have some sort of normal future between the two of us. But instead I find out that he only wants to be with me because of his genes. Because some biological disposition is telling him that we're meant to be together. It has nothing to do with how he feels about me at all. Instead, it's all about what the Veela wants."

"Hermione, that's not how the bond works," Remus told her softly. "The veela bond doesn't just pick someone random for the person to mate with. You weren't randomly just picked up off the street and then the stars decided you would work well together. The bond finds the person who is the most compatible for the Veela, and who they could be truly happy with. It takes into account the person's feelings and it makes sure you would be happy with this too. Think of it more as a soulmate bond. That the Veela genes found someone for him with whom he could be completely and utterly happy with. If Draco's Veela genes found you for him, it means he must legitimately care for you. It means he has feelings for you, and probably had them for you before his genes even kicked in."

She took in his words, trying to process them as her father added, "And as much as this pains me to say, as you are my daughter, I think you are upset about this because there's a part of you that cares about him too. And that you're afraid that he doesn't have the freewill enough to choose you without the bond. But he does. I'm not going to say that he went about this the best way, because he didn't, but at least he showed you that you care about him as well, by your own choice. The Veela bond doesn't force feelings. Nothing you are feeling for him is because of the bond. Yes, it might be heightened because he's a Veela, but the feelings are still your own."

"But with that said, you don't have to be with him just because of this. You can chose to walk away. You can chose to not pursue this if that is what you want. You have that right. And I'll support you no matter what. You're my daughter, and I would do anything to protect you, and if you decided that you don't want to have any part of this, then that's okay too. But just know that if you did decided to pursue this with Draco, you could be genuinely happy."

"I'm afraid," she said, whispering the words out. "It's intimidating to know that someone is supposed to be your mate and that the two of you could have a real future together. It feels like cheating in a way, because I know that it's supposed to work out."

"Love isn't a race," he told her softly, "There is no right or wrong answer. There are no short cuts to the end. Hell, some people don't even reach the end. But if you can find someone who can help you get to the finish line, then it doesn't matter how you get there. Just that you did."

"I should talk to him, shouldn't I?" she said softly. "I bit his head off."

"He did spring a Veela bond on you," her father reminded her. "I think leaving him to stew in his thoughts for a while is fine. However regardless of what you chose to do, you should talk to him. He could tell you more about the bond, and let you know the truth behind all of it."

She nodded, as she thought about what her father just said. She was still unhappy at the way Draco had gone about this, but he was right to think she would have hexed him if he tried springing it on her. And she had no idea how she wanted to proceed from here on out, but Remus was right in saying she needed all the facts before making a decision. So Hermione decided that was exactly what she would do.


	18. Reality

**Chapter 18**

 ** _June 1978_**

 _Marlene took a deep breath as she held Remus' hand. It had been a trying few months, what with them wrapping up their final year of Hogwarts and wandering off into the Wizarding World as they tried to find their places in it._

 _Graduation had occurred about a week ago; she had her training to become a Healer all lined up, and she was set to start within the next week or so._

 _James and Sirius were off training as Aurors, and Lily was beginning her apprenticeship as a Potioneer. Even Peter had found a job under a store keeper in Diagon Alley._

 _The only problem was that Remus was having a great amount of difficulty when it came to finding employment._

 _Over the last year he had sat down with McGonagall and discussed all his options. Working at the Ministry was quickly ruled out, due to past prejudices and their unwillingness to be open to considering the possibility._

 _And small shop owners didn't want to hire him for the same reason. However they didn't need to pretend to hide behind bureaucracy. No, they could just reject him straight up and tell him that it was because they didn't want someone like_ him _working for them._

 _He couldn't get an apprenticeship for the same reason, nor could he find work of any other sort. No matter how hard he tried._

 _It didn't matter that he was in the top ten of their graduating class. It didn't matter that he was a good person with a kind heart. It didn't matter that he was the hardest worker that she had ever known. None of that mattered to potential employers. Because none of them could see past the fact that he was a werewolf. Nor did any of them care enough to try._

 _And it broke her heart that he worked in the Muggle world in a small shop, earning the bare minimum. It broke her heart to see him come home day after day, looking exhausted and worn out._

 _But he never complained about it. He never stated how unfair it was that he still had to live at home because he couldn't afford not to. He never complained that he didn't get to see his friends or her as often as he would have liked because he was working all the time. He never complained about any of it._

 _It broke her heart that he was trying to push her away so he could deal with things on his own._

 _She had tried talking to James and to Sirius to see if Remus was opening up to either of them, but from what they had told her, he was closing himself to all of his friends, including the two of them. And it broke her heart that he wasn't confiding in any of them, and that he thought that this was something he needed to deal with on his own._

 _It was only when his parents were killed during a Death Eater attack on his hometown that he was forced to admit that he needed help. Because there was no way he could singlehandedly afford to live on his own._

 _She had offered for him to move in with her and her parents, but he had turned her down quickly, stating that he loved her too much to burden her._

 _It didn't matter what she tried to say to argue that it was fine, and that her parents wouldn't have minded if he did. It didn't matter that her parents loved Remus, and that they never would have considered him to be a burden on them._

 _He was pushing her away slowly, and it was killing her. And she was helpless, unable to do anything to help him._

 _Thankfully, he had accepted James' offer to move into his parent's house. He had tried to argue that too, but they had taken Sirius in a few years ago so he couldn't really argue it without coming off as trying to hold them both to some sort of double standards._

 _She was grateful to her friend for that. She knew James was just as worried as she was._

 _It was hard, leaving the comforts of school and venturing out into the world. Especially when things seemed to be heating up in terms of the Death Eater activity._

 _Dumbledore had approached her and her friends almost a month ago, saying he wanted to talk to them about an initiative he was starting to bring down Voldemort. The Ministry was becoming corrupt slowly with higher up officials coming out and all but stating their support for him. The Auror department was trying, but they were bound by protocols._

 _They needed a secret organization; one that could fight back without the bureaucracy of a slowly corrupting government holding them back. One that could fight cleanly, but effectively._

 _And so they joined the Order of the Phoenix, alongside their past professors and friends._

 _They hadn't exactly done much fighting; or rather any fighting at all. It had been a lot of training and strategical planning. There were discussions on operations that the Death Eaters could be conducting, and talk about finding a man on the inside who could give them more access to information._

 _The only problem was that infiltration wasn't exactly easy. Finding a Death Eater who would be a turncoat was difficult, especially because most of them were rather dedicated to the organization. Hell, it probably would be far easier to infiltrate themselves, with wanting to hope that everyone who joined could see why their fight was so important._

 _It wasn't going to be an easy road, and she was sure that there would be losses along the way. As she sat in on the Order meeting, she looked around the room, wondering just how many of her friends and family would be lost along the way as they fought for a victory; for a chance for their children to grow up in a time of peace and without prejudice._

* * *

Hermione took a deep breath as she walked into work the next day. It had been a long night, filled with tossing and turning, as she struggled to deal with the consequences of Draco's revelation.

It had been about one in the morning before she gave up on the pretense of being able to get any sleep that night, as she got up and did what she did best: researched Veelas, and more specifically the mating process.

Which had pretty much confirmed for her that she had been quick to dismiss Draco's feelings for her. Because everything he and her father had told her were true. That a Veela bond did not entail a forced connection. That it did not pick some random person and forced their fates. That what she felt for Draco was of her own volition, and not the result of his genetic makeup. And that there was also nothing stating she had to be with him if she didn't want to. Because no matter what bond they could have, the Veela could not force her to mate with him. That had to be her own choice all together.

She would be lying if she said she wasn't terrified. She was; she was scared of what it meant. When one enters a relationship there's no guarantee that the two of them would be destined. There's nothing saying that the two of them could end up married. But it was different knowing she was his mate. She was basically being handed a soulmate and told that they would be happy. It felt like cheating; like she was skipping all the difficult parts in between. And she felt guilty for not jumping on the bandwagon happily. Shouldn't this be what every person wanted? To be told that they could skip all the leg work and end up with a happily ever after without any of the heartache? Yet here she was, questioning it and feeling unsure as she struggled to come to terms with what this all meant for her and her own future.

But she had reached a decision, and she knew it was unfair to leave Draco out in the dog house. She needed to talk to him, and she needed to be more open to the idea of a discussion.

And in all honesty, he was right. If he had just told her straight out that they were soulmates, then she would have laughed. She wouldn't have taken him seriously, or if she did, she would have been furious. Mad that she was forced to end up with someone she didn't want. Angry that she thought she had no choice.

But this way she was able to come to terms with her feelings first. And she did care for him, truly. Which was exactly what she needed to show him now; that she wasn't just going to run away from this because she was scared. He deserved far better than that.

She took in his appearance as she spotted him on one of the couches. He looked like he too hadn't slept through the night, and he looked worse for the wear. He looked like he was afraid she would be ready to break up with him on the spot.

And it broke her heart.

"Can we talk?" she asked him quietly, as she approached him.

He nodded silently, as he followed her out of the room and into the corridor. And despite being in the Department of Mysteries where only a select few could enter, she cast a privacy spell over them so that no one would be able to hear their conversation.

"I'm sorry," Draco blurted out before she had a chance to say anything. "All of this was unfair to you. I never should have gone about it the way I did. I should have been upfront with you and told you the truth so that you had the chance to decide if this was something you wanted to continue or not. It would have given you the chance to have known what you were getting into. Instead I wanted to see if we could be happy together without the feeling like it was the Veela genes pushing us together."

"But it was the veela genes that pushed us together," she said softly. "Without it, we might never have gone out. Without it pushing us, we could have just lived in denial of our feelings for each other. Or maybe we eventually would have given up and admitted that we cared for each other. But you cannot deny that the Veela genes is the main reason that we did begin dating when we did."

He nodded, "I know," he looked down.

"But with that said, I understand it now," she told him carefully. "I don't blame you for lying to me, or more specifically not being upfront. Because you're right in saying that I would have freaked out. I wouldn't have liked the fact that I felt like my choice was being taken away from me. But at least with the way you went about it, I was forced to evaluate my feelings for you, because I do have feelings for you, Draco. I care about you quite a bit, which was why I felt hurt. But I understand how the bond works now, and that I was wrong in assuming it forces your hand. Because I know now that it doesn't."

He looked ever so slightly relieved at that, and she continued, "I don't exactly like the circumstances, because let's be honest. It's far less than ideal. But at the same time, nothing in my life ever works out in an ideal manner. And I don't want to lose you, Draco. Because even with all the craziness that's going on in this world, I can't lose you. I think I'm slowly starting to fall in love with you, and the thought of not having you in my life hurts far more than anything else. So what I'm trying to say is that I still want us to work out. And I still want to be with you."

He looked baffled by her statement, but pulled her in for a kiss. She melted into his body as his hands cupped her face, and she slid her arms around his waist. As his mouth moved against hers, she knew she had made the right decision, and there wasn't a drop of regret in her.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry," he breathed after pulling away, "I don't like the circumstances either. But I can promise you that I will never take our bond for granted. I promise that I'm still going to court you and take you on romantic dates even despite it. I will never let you feel like you're missing anything because we were handed our happy ever after. Nor will I let you feel like you're lacking anything."

She smiled softly as she tugged on his robes so his lips met hers once more, "Good," she said as her lips grazed his once more. "No more secrets, Draco. I mean it. From now on we tell each other everything."

"Unless I'm planning a surprise for you," he told her softly, "But no more secrets. I promise. You mean too much for me to lose."

"I hate to interrupt," Bill said as he peeked out the door to the sight of the two of them wrapped up in each other's arms, "But if you're done looking all cute and everything, we need to get back to work."

Hermione blushed slightly as Bill game them both amused looks, "Sorry," she said sheepishly, as she slipped her hand through Draco's and the two of them made their way back inside the room.

* * *

 _Morgana was seething. It had been about a week since Arthur had ridden back into Camelot with the "great" news that he managed to defeat a village of their foes. That he managed to bring down an entire village of Druids. And he and his knights were so proud._

 _And it was killing her. How had her brother turned out so ruthless? When did he become the monster that children feared? Because Camelot, despite what anyone might say, was living in fear. The fear that at any given moment Arthur and his knights could show up and accuse anyone of possessing magic. And it was terrifying. What did one do in that situation? Denial made you appear guilty. Not fighting made you look guiltier. There was no winning._

 _She wasn't even sure that he would pardon her if he learned the truth of her or Merlin's own magic._

 _Where was the heroics in killing women and children? Where was the heroics in killing unarmed men? It wasn't bravery that Arthur showed. It was cowardice and fear instilled in him by none other than his father. And there was no coming back from what he had done._

 _It didn't matter how much Merlin tried to change him into coming around. It didn't matter because there was no redemption for him. Because under the reign of Arthur, magic and common folk could never be united. There was just too much pain and history._

 _Instead, they needed a new ruler all together. One who could work to repair the damage that the last two generations of rulers had instilled; one who could build a bridge between them both._

 _And why shouldn't it have been her who took the throne? She was every bit Uther's blood as Arthur was. If anyone deserved the throne it should have been her._

 _She was raising an army in the shadows; locking her door at night and sneaking out to an old castle at the edge of the realm. And the support she was gathering was monumental. Soon they would have an entire army, charged with the task of bringing down Arthur if and when it came time to do so._

 _But that was not all she was planning._

 _Morgana smiled as she looked out the window to see Arthur sparring with his knights in the courtyard. It would take a lot of show the land of the good magic could do. And that was exactly what she was planning. Carefully, she was designing a curse, meant to strike similarly to a plague to wipe out hundreds._

 _And there would be nothing Arthur or anyone else could do._

 _And she, like the saviour she would be, would sweep in and cure the lands. For it would only be her, and her alone who could break this curse,_

 _Her hand caressed her stomach softly as she smiled to herself._

 _There would be deaths along the way; that much was certain. But it was a price she would have to pay to save them all. Because at the rate Arthur was headed, there wouldn't be anyone left to save. And those few deaths would save the lives of thousands for generations to come._

 _She could never tell anyone but a trusted few, including her advisor, Mordred. Even Merlin must be kept in the dark._

 _Because she loved him with all her heart, but he could not ever know what she had done. And she prayed that he would survive this, so they could be together in the end. She prayed that he would forgive her if he ever learned the truth._

 _For something needed to be done, before it was too late, and it was only her who could stop her brother._

 _She would unite both worlds; one way or another, even if she herself did not live to survive it. And this curse would be broken when she was Queen. That much was certain. She had no idea how long it would take, but it was something that needed to be done._

 _She closed her eyes, and stepped back from the window sill, praying silently that she would not lose everything over this fight._


	19. Moments

**Chapter 19**

 ** _August 1978_**

 _In hindsight, Marlene should have expected that James and Lily would have been the next out of their friends to get married. After proposing in the middle of his graduation speech as Head Boy, the pair of them had been able to somehow keep their hands off each other even more._

 _She loved her friends dearly, there was no question about that. She had known James for the better part of her life, and during her time at school she had bonded with Lily on a deep level._

 _So when she and the rest of their friends received a sudden invitation to James' home she really should have seen it coming._

 _Alongside her and the Marauders, Alice, Frank, and Mary had all been invited as well, but it seemed as if none of them, not even Sirius, had been informed of what was happening. All she knew was the moment she arrived, the entire garden had been decorated, and Lily told her happily that she was getting married and asked her to be her maid of honour._

 _And she had been so flattered. James' father would give her away as her own parents had passed away, from a recent heart attack for her father, and her mother a bit before from cancer. She knew it hurt her friend dearly that they would not be able to be here today, and her own sister had all but disowned her from her family and returned her letters unopened. Later, James confided in her that they had personally invited Petunia, but the muggle woman had all but shut the door in their faces._

 _But in the past year, Lily had grown close to his family, and as Mr and Mrs Potter did so well, they brought her into their household and made sure she felt loved._

 _As it turned out, transfiguration charms were great at creating last minute outfits for themselves that were more appropriate than what they had been wearing when they arrived._

 _It surprised her the least that Sirius was asked to be the best man._

 _She wanted to say that the two of them were getting married far too young. They were barely on the verge of adulthood, yet here her two friends were, off getting married and creating a family of their own. Were they all not still just children, thrust into the adult world feeling less than prepared?_

 _But there was a war looming on the horizon, despite what any of them wanted. The war was coming with every passing day. More and more attacks were occurring as if felt like the numbers of the death eaters were only growing. She felt so powerless in the face of it all, unsure what the outcome would even be. She wanted to be optimistic and say that they would win; she wanted to be optimistic and say that there was hope for them all, but the reality was that at the rate they were going, they would be lucky to make it out alive._

 _As she stood by Lily's side, she could see Remus smiling brightly as he watched his friend getting married. It was strange to think about still that she was watching the two stand there today, seeing how far they had come, from being classmates, to him falling for her, and in turn her becoming annoyed at his terrible attempts at hitting on her, to him growing up and her falling for him in turn._

 _She knew the two of them were going to be very happy together as they lived their lives out. And any children they may have had would grow up with a loving family. They would be great parents, with James being light and childish and Lily attempting to be stern before she joined in and joined whatever madness her husband and children got up to._

 _Marlene wanted that more than anything. She wanted to grow old with Remus as they raised their children together. And while they hadn't exactly discussed their future together, she hoped that Remus wanted that too._

 _He turned his smile to her, and in that moment, she felt like everything would be alright. His situation hadn't improved over the last two months; he was still working a minimum paying job, and was still living with James, despite trying to rely on his friend as little as possible._

 _And with Lily and James' wedding, she wondered if things would be different. James had mentioned that they might still stay with his parents, and despite the size of the Potter property, six people living under one roof permanently would be difficult._

 _However Sirius had mentioned trying to find a flat off of Diagon Ally, and Lily and James were debating buying a small cottage as well. She knew Sirius was trying to convince Remus to rent the place with him, but her boyfriend had been reluctant, as he struggled to make his way in the wizarding world._

 _But he was adapting, and for that she was grateful. If he could move out and land on his feet, then she knew he would find stability in his life which he had long craved._

 _And hopefully one day soon, the two of them could find a place of their own._

 _As the Minister pronounced Lily and James husband and wife, and felt her heart swell. When the couple pulled away from each other, Sirius pulled them both into a hug, and Marlene laughed as Remus ran up to the front and spun her around. Mr and Mrs Potter were grinning happily as they approached, and Peter offered his congratulations to the pair, while Mary was taking pictures of the couple left and right._

 _The world was burning all around them, but for now, in this small pocket of time, there was happiness and there was joy. And while they would face hardships and pain in the future, just for this one moment, everything was good and well. And in this singular moment that would live on forever, they had love and each other._

* * *

Hermione looked at the others in the room as she said, "I have an idea."

It had been a couple days since she had talked to Draco, and had decided to give him a chance. Other than her father, she hadn't told anyone else about him being a Veela, mainly to respect his privacy, but also because she was sure Harry and Ron would jump to their own conclusions on how the bond would work.

Merlin knows she had when she was first told that the bond existed.

Additionally, while she loved her friends dearly, she wanted to keep this to herself for a bit longer. She would be lying if she said she wasn't still processing all of this, and trying to wrap her head around the fact that she had a _mate_ whom she would spend the rest of her life with.

She looked around the room as Bill and Draco watched her intently.

"I have no idea how it would work," she confessed, "But we could try an old spell which works to break curses on artefacts. It usually works on objects from the 10th century or so, so I'm not entirely sure how it would work in this case. And additionally, it doesn't help that we don't actually have a single object to break the curse on, so it would need to be channelled toward the idea of the curse, over an object."

"Confractus maledictionem?" Bill breathed, looking up at her as she confirmed the spell. "It's risky," he warned her. "If we try and break the spell incorrectly, it could have any number of side effects. Or it might just do nothing all together. And who knows what will happen if we aim the spell towards an idea over a physical object. But at the same time, we have nothing so far, so I say it's worth a shot."

Draco looked skeptical, "Would it even work?" he asked, and was met with silence. He sighed as he added, "I say we do it. We have no leads, and at the very least, if this works then we'll have broken a curse that's almost as old as early magic itself. So let's do it."

"We would all need to cast it together," she said softly, "For it to reach anywhere near the level of potency we would need to break this curse."

The three moved into a circular formation as they pointed their wands into the air. She closed her eyes and felt her magic flowing through her, and attempted to concentrate it onto the idea of Morgana's curse.

" _Confractus maledictionem_ ," she chanted, as Bill and Draco repeated the spell at the same time she did. " _Confractus maledictionem_ , _confractus maledictionem_ "

They repeated the words over and over, as she channelled all her energy into the spell, feeling a buildup in the magic around her.

Only to feel the ground below her begin to rumble uncontrollably. Her chanting ended as she opened her eyes abruptly to see Bill looking at them worriedly, and Draco looking nervous.

She saw a white blinding light, and the next thing she knew, she was on the ground with Draco standing over her worriedly.

"You're okay," he breathed with a sigh of relief, "You were out of it for a good couple moments, and I was starting to get worried."

"What happened? She asked, as she sat up. Draco was crouching beside her as he stroked her face softly.

"Well the spell didn't work," he said attempting to be light. "I have no idea how large that earthquake was, but if the diagnostic spells Bill has been casting is any indication, I would say it affected at least the Ministry of Magic and possibly the surrounding areas, if not more.

"So it failed," she said, feeling slightly disappointed.

"Hey," he said softly, "It wasn't your fault."

"I know," she replied, "It was a bit of a long shot anyways. I just really hoped it would work, Draco. I've never been so clueless as to what to do to solve any problem before, but I really have no idea what to do about this. But I suppose if it were to have worked, then someone years before me would have tried and succeeded. I couldn't have been the first to have come up with that idea."

"We'll find another solution," he told her with a smile. "We still have time to beat this curse. We just need to believe that we can."

He helped her to her feet, holding her carefully even after she stood. She felt herself lean towards him lightly, to steady herself, but also because she felt comfortable in his arms.

"We'll find something," Bill promised them, "There's going to be something or the other we're missing and just haven't thought of as important. We'll go over everything we have so far again and see what we've overlooked. But for now, go home and get some rest. It's been a long day and we have so much to do still."

* * *

Kingsley sighed to himself as he sat at his desk. Taking over after the war had been far from easy, what with the chaos and panic. Even with Voldemort defeated, there were still Death Eaters rampaging and attacking; there were those who believed it was their jobs to finish what their master had started, and that they were the chosen ones to carry out this task. There were those who attacked and fought without surrender.

It took months to restore the peace and calmness in the wizarding world, and now it would all for naught.

All because a witch years ago took drastic actions to save their world.

The path to hell always was paved with good intentions.

And now, with the curse on their tails, they would be sent to panic once more. It wasn't going to be an easy road to try and stop this curse.

He wondered if he was doing the right thing, handing this large task over to three people.

Sure, they were competent; the bests in their fields. And most importantly, they could be trusted to be discreet. Because panic the absolute last thing they needed at this moment. And the more people they brought on, the higher the chances of the truth getting out to the public and causing chaos. Because if the public did know that there was a curse set to kill them all on the loose, then rest assured the world would fall apart.

But the three needed help, that much was certain. Bill had pitched the idea a few times, but had understood the necessity for discreetness. They all did.

Even Malfoy whom he had been reluctant to trust in the beginning, was working hard to try and break the curse. Even if he was distracted by a certain co-worked of his.

He knew Bill had told him out of amusement, and he couldn't help but feel happy for Hermione for finding someone after all the pain she had gone through. The good moments were far too rare, and who was he to squander one away?

With the curse starting to take victims, he wondered how long it would be until he met his own end. It was made known to him that the third wave would take those in power, and who better to target than the Minister of Magic? He would be attacked by this curse, of that much he was certain, and while he wasn't as much scared for his own death, he feared what it would do to the wizarding population. By the third wave, a significant amount of the population would have been killed. And by the third wave, with those in power no longer there to govern the public, he was scared the world would descend into chaos.

Kinglsey sighed as he pushed the papers in front of him, unsure of if he was making the right choice in whom he was bringing in. But Draco Malfoy had turned out for the best, so what was saying that this choice wouldn't be for the best as well?

And it helped that the candidate in mind was well versed on Arthurian culture, and on Merlin and Morgana as well. So by picking them, it would be beneficial, right? Because that extra person who knew more about the time for when the curse was attempting to be broken for could provide valuable insight on translations or alternative meanings which the current team might otherwise misinterpret or not think of as relevant.

He had asked around as well, and anywhere he went, he was met with the same answer of who in England, who was still alive, would be the best in the field and the best in helping them with their mission. It was always the same person who came up, despite his initial confusion and shock.

So he decided to set this meeting today, and talk to Bill, Hermione, and Draco to see if they agreed that taking on another member would be valuable to the team, and if it was something they should consider doing.

As he heard a knock at the door, he stood to greet the three members on the current task, and gestured for them to sit at his desk.

"I don't want you to think that I'm asking this because I feel you are incompetent," Kinglsey said softly, "But this was such a large task to dump on so few. And while discretion is still of the upmost importance, I feel like bringing on one more team member couldn't hurt, especially as this person has skills in areas which could serve to be highly beneficial towards your task."

"Who would you be bringing on?" Malfoy asked, leaning forward, as he shot Hermione a confused look.

"Theodore Nott" Kinglsey said, as he acknowledged the boy's question, "Whom I happen to know you are good friends with, Mr. Malfoy. Which was one of the reasons I asked you here. I wanted to know if you thought he could be reliable enough to keep this a secret. He is well versed on that time and culture and I feel would provide a valuable insight to your team. However I need to know if we can count on him."

Malfoy's forehead creased, "I had no idea he knew so much about Merlin and Morgana," he said in a shocked tone. "He's never mentioned that to us in any of our time at school or afterwards."

"Why would he have kept it a secret?" Hermione asked him curiously.

"Maybe he thought we would make fun of him for it. Or maybe he was being Slytherin about it," he said, and clarified when the room looked confused, "By keeping his talents a secret, it works to his advantage if a situation ever arose where he needed that particular trait. So in this case, if there ever was a history test on the subject surrounding Merlin, he would be able to beat out the others in our year, or something of the sort, as others would underestimate him."

"Do you think he can be trusted?" Bill asked him carefully.

"I do," Draco nodded, "The war was hard on all of us. With his mother having passed years ago, and his father now in Azkaban, he debatably had it harder than the rest of us. But he never once let it stop him from living his life. If we brought him onto the team, I think he could be valuable in helping us."

Kinglsey wrote down the notes Draco had given him as he said, "I'm glad. I shall bring him in tomorrow morning and brief him on what is happening."

The others nodded as the stood to leave Kinglsey to the process of getting Nott ready to join their team.

He just hoped that the new addition would be enough to help end this, one way or another.


	20. Lost

**Chapter 20**

 ** _October 1978_**

 _Marlene would be lying if she said she wasn't unsure about her future._

 _And it wasn't just one aspect she was unsure of. It was all of it._

 _She was unsure of what to do now that James and Lily had moved into their own little cottage, and that Sirius moved into a flat nearby Diagon Alley. She was unsure what to do with Remus attempting to come up with his share of the rent each month, even though Sirius had bought the place with some money his uncle Alphard left him a few years back._

 _She was unsure what to do now that her training was nearly completed and she would have to specialize soon. And how could she chose one field when she saw what this war was doing to people? Even if it hadn't officially started, it didn't stop her friends and family from being hurt during the Death Eater attacks. It didn't stop the fact that she was reading about more and more deaths with each passing day._

 _It didn't change the fact that the number of muggleborns and those unsympathetic to Voldemort's cause were being hunted._

 _It didn't change the fact that Alice Longbottom's parents were killed in an attack the other day, and that she had stayed up the better part of the night crying for her friend's loss._

 _It didn't change the fact that she felt unsafe, and unsure of what the future had planned for her._

 _It didn't change the fact that Remus despite trying to love her, was still pushing her away, even after four months of their graduation. And she knew it wasn't intentional. He invited her over and held her as they sat together and talked. But she knew he was restless, and feeling unfulfilled, yet he never would open up to her about it._

 _And it was killing her slowly, even if she didn't know what to do about it._

 _Lily had told her to sit him down and tell him about how it was hurting her. Because there was no way Remus would hurt her intentionally. But how could she do that, knowing very well that it meant spinning it around to be about her, when really it was about him to begin with?_

 _But she knew she had let this go on long enough, and that she needed to talk to him once and for all._

 _Which is why she was standing outside his flat currently, knowing very well Sirius was off with some bird, and that Remus would be alone._

 _He didn't look surprised to see her, but that didn't mean he looked all that well. He had bags under his eyes, and had lost weight over the last month. He looked older than he was, and she felt her heart break, looking at him._

 _"Marlene," he said giving her a soft smile, as he leaned in to place a kiss on her lips._

 _She stroked his face as he let her into his shared flat. As they sat down on the couch together, she took a deep breath._

 _"Not that I don't love you," she said, "And would visit you regardless, I came here today to talk."_

 _He furrowed his brows at that, and she wondered what he was thinking at the moment._

 _"Remus, we can't keep doing this," she said softly. "We can't keep pretending everything is okay, when we both know it's not. We both know you're not okay, and we need to talk about it."_

 _"Marlene," he said softly, "That's exactly why we cannot talk about it. You don't deserve the burden of my problems. You deserve so much better than this; than me: a man who can't even support himself and is living off his friends. A man who cannot get a job and has no idea when his next paycheck will be his last."_

 _"Which is precisely why we must," she insisted. "Remus, you seem to be under some idea that I can remain blissfully ignorant to your pain and suffering. Do you think I don't see what is happening to you? Or that I am able to somehow just turn it off and pretend that it's not happening? It doesn't work that way! We've been together for almost a year, Remus! I can't pretend that it's not killing me to see you like this. Like you're…"_

 _"What?" he asked, challengingly._

 _"Killing yourself!" she yelled out. "You're killing yourself slowly. You're pretending that none of this hurts you but we all see right through you. Remus, please, just talk to me. Tell me what's happening with you and open up to me. Tell me about your pain and your struggles. And Merlin, just tell me how your day went. Genuinely tell me, not just some stock answer to it being okay and that you're tired. Tell me anything. I don't know how much longer I can keep doing this."_

 _"Will you break up with me if I refuse?" he asked her, eyes locking with hers._

 _He was daring her, and she knew it. She wanted to take the bait, just to make him see how his actions were hurting her. But the thought of losing him hurt more than anything, and there was no way that she was going to bet their relationship on her ability to call his bluff._

 _"No," she admitted softly, looking down. "I love you too much to leave. I love you too much to let you go."_

 _"Then why push it?" he asked, with a genuine curiosity in his voice. "You must know that I am not doing well with any of this. You know I hate working in a shop, and that all I want to do is something meaningful. Yet I do busy work for a muggle man who thinks I am uneducated. Why push it when you can see how miserable I am?"_

 _"Because I want you to tell me yourself," she said. "I don't want you to be unhappy, Remus. I don't want you to wake up one morning, filled with regret of your life choices. Of your career, of your financial state….of me."_

 _"You think I could wake up one morning and regret my life with you?" he asked her sounding incredulous. When she didn't answer, he responded, "Marlene, you're one of the only good things in my life right now. You've been what gives me strength each morning to keep going. You motivate me, and make me want to keep fighting each day, to somehow live a better life. So I can be better for_ you _. If it weren't for you, I don't know what I would do."_

 _She didn't look up, and he cupped her face softly, and met her eyes._

 _"I was going to give this to you soon, but I think this is as good of a time as any," he said softly, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a tiny silver ring. It was plain and simple, yet beautifully crafted._

 _"I'm not proposing to you, before you start panicking," he said softly, "I know how you want to wait until after the war to get married, or even think of marriage. I know you want to wait until this all calms down. This is a promise ring Marlene. I want to promise you that I want a future with you, and that I will marry you one day. I promise that I won't shut you out anymore, because even though you would never say it, it's killing you that I am. I'll be open with you and share my happiness and my pain. I promise that I'm going to do right by you."_

 _She felt her eyes began to water, as all the pain and stress that had building up over the last few months broke through to the surface. She had been holding everything in for so long, and she couldn't any longer._

 _"Yes," she said with a watery laugh. "I want it all with you too, Remus. I want to marry you one day, and to share your joy and suffering. I want to be there for you like you've been for me. I want to love you forever."_

 _He smiled softly, as he slipped the ring on her finger, before pulling her into a deep kiss. She held his face in her hands, kissing him fervently, not wanting to lose him._

 _And as she slept in his arms that night, she slept peacefully for the first time in months._

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me?" Draco asked his friend as he went over to Theo's place right after work. He had given Kingsley enough time to brief his friend, before going over and demanding answers.

"Tell you what?" Theo asked in confusion, as he looked up at Draco. He had been in the middle of reading a book, with a title he couldn't quite make out.

"That you're a bloody expert on Merlin and Arthurian history," Draco said as he kept his voice levelled.

"When has it ever come up?" Theo asked, raising a brow. "It's not as if we ever sit to chat about our vast amount of knowledge on random subjects.

"But you would think your friend would tell you that he's the leading expert in the field," Draco retorted.

"Because that's what I want you and Blaise to know," Theo said with a shake of his head, "That I'm the biggest history nerd in England."

"The Slytherin in you could have bragged about it years ago," Draco said, looking unamused. "It certainly is no small feat, Theo."

"I like this game," Theo remarked, "How about we talk about all the things you haven't told me, Draco? How about we talk about the fact that you're working on a breaking a curse which has killed hundreds of people every few centuries and that you didn't think Blaise and I ought to know. Oh this is fun. Let's do another. How about we talk about the fact that you're not exactly all that _Pure_ , and that you're a Veela. Or better yet, that Hermione Granger, or Lupin or whatever she goes by now, is your mate, and you never thought once to share that information with Blaise or I?"

Draco slumped down in the chair he was sitting in.

"Fair point," he conceded. "I suppose we all have our secrets."

"Why didn't you ever tell Blaise or I about being a Veela?" Theo asked, genuinely curious.

"How did you find out?" he questioned.

"It wasn't all that hard to see the signs," Theo gave him a knowing look. "We know you, Draco. We lived with you for six years and have been friends for the majority of our lives."

"I guess I kept it a secret because I was afraid you would judge me back in school. My father seemed to believe it made us superior because we had advanced magic, but I knew others might not see it that way. And we all had our prejudices back then so I withheld the information. And after the war, it seemed too late to spring something like that on the two of you. Why didn't you ever say anything?" he asked, confused.

"Because when I found out, the Slytherin in me wanted to keep it as leverage," he said simply, "But I stopped caring during the war. We were friends, Draco. We still are. Some skeletons in your closet doesn't change that. So Blaise and I decided that we would wait until you decided to tell us for yourself, and that we wouldn't push it otherwise. Who were we to demand your secrets from you?"

"Sorry," he said sheepishly, as he realized he pushed his way into his friend's house to do the same thing.

"Don't be," he said with a laugh, "Now I get to meet the infamous Hermione Granger once and for all. Won't that be _interesting_?"

Draco shook his head laughing, realizing that having someone else on his team who he trusted could only be advantageous when it came to breaking the curse.

* * *

Hermione came to the lab early that morning. She had a feeling she would want to, what with Theo coming in. She knew it had been strange for Draco to find out about the fact that his friend was apparently an expert in the field through the Minister of Magic, and that he had gone to talk to Theo the night before, but she had no idea just how that talk had gone.

For all she knew Draco would come in being less than pleased, or maybe it went well and the two of them would come in together.

Honestly, she wasn't all that sure why the second one wouldn't happen. If she found out Harry or Ron had been well versed in the very area they needed, then she would be glad for their knowledge. Of course it might confuse her a bit, but it wouldn't be enough to ruin their friendship.

Despite having made their way through the majority of books on Morgana, there were still a few that they hadn't touched. It was hard trying to figure out which books would contain the knowledge they needed so they could optimize their progress. The last thing they needed was to still be reading books when the curse came and struck.

She flipped the page when the two of them came in together. As she looked at Draco he gave her a soft smile, and she knew everything must have gone alright.

She stood up and made their way over to them, while Bill did the same.

"Hermione," Draco said as she approached them, "This is Theo Nott. Theo, Hermione."

"It's a pleasure to finally meet the woman who has captured Draco's heart," Theo said smoothly as he extended his hand to her. "I've heard a lot about you."

"It's nice to meet you," Hermione said with a smile as she shook his hand. "I'm excited to be working with you."

"And I you," Theo said. "Mr. Weasley," he said, nodding at Bill.

The ginger man laughed and said, "Call me Bill. Any friends of Draco's is a friend of mine."

"I suppose we should get to it, then," Hermione said with a nod, as they made their way over to the couches. "Can you tell us about Morgana, and anything relating to the curse?"

"I can try," he said thoughtfully. "I know this curse was the onset of Morgana wanting to unite magic and muggles, as her brother seemed to be opposite to the fact all together. Which ironically allowed Merlin and Arthur to reunite the two against her. I know that Morgana and Merlin were together."

"We know that already," Bill said, interrupting. "What can you tell us that we wouldn't know?"

Theo looked thoughtful at that, "Most of the knowledge I have is on Merlin himself, you must understand that. Morgana is often portrayed as a villain so the books don't want to talk about her too much."

"Great," Bill said with a slump, "That's exactly what I need."

"Don't get discouraged just yet," Theo said with a grin. "I never said _I_ don't know anything about Morgana. I know where she disappeared to all those years ago when she ran away from Camelot to cast her curse. And I happen to know that her relationship with Merlin was more fruitful than he might have known."

"You know where her castle is?" Hermione asked, excitedly. "Do you know how powerful that is? Breaking the curse at the place it was first cast could almost guarantee that it would be broken properly, with little repercussions. And on top of that, think of the historical significance. Think of what it could mean for historians everywhere!"

"I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself," Draco reminded her with a smile, "We still don't know how to break the curse. However it doesn't take way how significant the find is."

"Where is it?" Bill asked, curiously. "And how is it that you're the only one who knows about this so called ruins. You must have found out about it somewhere."

"Through lots of analyzations of ancient works," Theo explained. "I've dedicated the better part of my life trying to find out where it is located."

She looked closely at Draco's friend, wondering how much of the truth he was telling. It wasn't that she thought he was lying, but it seemed a little too good to be true. The team being stuck at a standstill, then all of a sudden they were handed this golden key. This person, who seemed to know enough to fill in the blanks to all the walls they had been hitting lately.

But he also could just be their saving grace. If he could offer any help when it came to breaking this curse, then who was she to question it? Who was she to ask how this is happening now, or question the reliability of the source?

"It's in North Wales," Theo mentioned. "There probably are a billion and a half protection spells on it, but it probably has what could be the earliest known fidelius charm."

"How does that help us?" Hermione questioned. "So now we know where this special castle is, but we have no way of even getting there."

"I might be able to help with that," Draco supplied, and all eyes looked to him in confusion. "While reading, I came across a picture of a tablet which had the words _Tauroc_ on it. I didn't know what it meant, but upon some research it was found to be the site of one of Morgana's castles. However without the geographical location it didn't help. Now, however-"

"-We might just be able to find this castle!" Hermione said, sounding excited. Maybe, just maybe, they would be able to break this curse before it was too late

"Well what are we waiting for?" Bill asked, "Looks like we're about to take a trip."


	21. Found

**Chapter 21**

 ** _November 1978_**

 _In all honesty Marlene wasn't sure she would ever be fighting on the front lines when she signed up for the Order. Sure, there had been several instances in which the Order had defended innocent civilians against the Death Eaters, but she had never been there to fight alongside her peers. At first it was because she was new to the Order, and Dumbledore had refused to put any of them in a fight without proper training. And as James and Sirius gained more experience through their Auror training, they were slowly being brought into more fights. It seemed as if Dumbledore was slowly drafting them all, one at a time. All except for her._

 _She was told that her healer experience made her far too valuable to be on the front lines. The Aurors in their group could always hide behind their jobs if they were injured and brought into St Mungos. But the rest of them were operating outside the scope of the law, so there was no way they could constantly all be going into the hospital without questions being asked. She knew it to be true as her job entailed her informing Aurors if she suspected anyone had come in due to foul play. And while she might have been able to sweep it under the rug, the same could not necessarily be said for the other healers she worked with._

 _It didn't help that she was still on rotation as a new Healer, and very rarely was on the fourth floor for Spell Damage related cases. She supposed she could eventually chose to specialize so she could work there, but it would be a while before she was allowed to choose to do so._

 _She wasn't exactly jealous that she wasn't able to join the fights. How could she be jealous when she saw her friends and family being brought in after each fight, looking battered and bruised? How could she be jealous when she prayed after each fight that her friends wouldn't be hurt, or worse, killed? They weren't in Hogwarts anymore when their opponents were casting jinxes or curses. They were casting spells for death and pain._

 _And she didn't know what she would do if she lost anyone she loved._

 _So when she was in Diagon Alley with Lily and James, doing some shopping for supplies, she really didn't intend on running into Death Eaters._

 _Marlene was just about to pay for a few items when she heard the screaming coming from outside. The shopkeeper looked terrified, and Marlene grabbed her wand as she ran outside. She could see a store a few buildings over on fire, as Bellatrix's laughter cut through the air._

 _She was horrified to see several other Death Eaters unidentifiable due to their masks, as they attacked everyone and anyone._

 _She saw a child on the ground, being hexed by one Death Eater, and a thirty something year old man attempting to fight back but failing._

 _She saw James brandishing his wand as he attempted to take on several Death Eaters at once, as Lily took on a few others._

 _She knew because she hadn't been brought in yet, she technically wasn't allowed to fight. But how could she leave as she saw those around her being hurt and injured? How could she leave with a good conscious, knowing blood would be shed, and innocent lives would be lost?_

 _So in a moment she made up her wand and cast a disarming spell at one of the Death Eaters, alerting the rest of them to her presence._

 _She felt her heart pound as she cast spell after spell, thinking back to the training she had received and her Defence Against the Dark Arts classes. Yet it was different fighting a friend in a training area than it was fighting a foe in the middle of a battle._

 _She took a deep breath as she blocked off spell after spell, while trying to still help the innocent people who were being harassed still._

 _And she was overwhelmed. She remembered wishing more of the Order and Aurors would show up, to even out the numbers, and remembered feeling relieved as she saw them show up._

 _And she remembered hearing Remus shout her name, in a panicked manner, just as she felt a sharp pain flow through her body, before she was enveloped by darkness._

 _When she awoke, she was no longer in Diagon Alley. Instead, she was in a bed, and she could see a very tired Remus sitting on a chair beside her bed._

 _"You're awake," he said, and she could hear the relief in his voice. He stood and sat on the edge of the bed, stroking her face._

 _"Hi," she said softly as she sat up so she could lean into him._

 _"What were you thinking?" he demanded. "Marlene, you could have been seriously hurt!"_

 _"What did you think I would do?" she questioned. "People were dying, Remus! You didn't hear their screams of pain and terror. How could I stand aside and let it happen all because Dumbledore hadn't cleared me for fighting yet? What kind of person does that make me, to watch as James and Lily and our friends fight while I stand aside?"_

 _He sighed, wrapping an arm around her, "I know," he said softly. "I know you couldn't have just stood aside. But you have no idea just how terrifying it was to watch Bellatrix hit you with that spell. Marlene, I thought you were dead."_

 _"It was Bellatrix?" she asked in surprise, as she stroked his face softly._

 _"Yes," he said, and the anger was apparent in his voice, "Sirius is furious that his cousin did that to you."_

 _"I'm sorry," she said softly. "For causing you to worry."_

 _And she was. The loss of his parents had been so hard on him, and she knew he would be devastated if he lost her too._

 _He sighed, "Don't be. You did what you thought was right. I've been selfishly trying to keep you safe, but we're at a war, whether I like it or not. I just don't want to lose you."_

 _"And I don't want to lose you either," she told him. "I love you too much to live without you."_

 _"And I love you," he told her softly. "Promise me you'll be careful, Marlene. Be safe and always be with someone who'll watch your back."_

 _"I promise," she said, exhaustion dripping from her voice._

 _"Sleep," he told her softly, "I'll be beside you when you wake up."_

 _She wanted to protest, but her eyes started to droop. So she lay back down on the bed, cuddled into Remus' chest as she drifted off to sleep._

* * *

When Draco mentioned having the tablet with the secret to entering Morgana's castle, Hermione wasn't sure what to feel.

She was excited because it felt like they had their first real lead in the time since they've started working on trying to break the curse.

She was nervous because of what the group might find at the ruins. Even if it didn't magically have the answer of how to break Morgana's curse, it still would have many artefacts and historically important items. The knowledge that would be flowing through the castle would be incredible.

And she was worried that they wouldn't find what they needed. Because if they went all that way, and still came back empty handed, then she had no idea what else they could do. If there was nothing at that castle, then what were the chances they would even find the anecdote to the curse? There could be nothing else in anymore books to help them.

So it was safe to say that there was quite a lot riding on the fact that they found just what they were looking for when they arrived at the castle.

Draco slipped a hand in hers, as if he could sense her worry and unease.

"It's going to be fine," he told her softly, as they stood in front of a seemingly empty hill range.

She could sense magic which felt like a repellant charm. Hermione wondered if simply knowing the word _Tauroc_ would be enough to get them past all the security measures the castle held. For it to be undiscovered for nearly two millenniums was incredible.

She took a step forward, as she closed her eyes and began to think the word repeatedly, hoping magically for something to happen.

She heard Bill gasp as she opened her eyes and saw a castle materialize.

And it was nowhere near in ruins.

She took in a big breath of air as she saw the castle standing magnificently in front of her. It was nowhere near as big as Hogwarts was, but it was far more regal and appropriate of the time it had been built.

She opened the doors as she made her way inside and gasped. For a castle Morgana retreated to, it certainly wasn't lacking. Moving past the surrounding walls of the castle, she was greeted by the main hall, donned magnificently with red furniture and deep blue accents.

She could sense familiarity as she walked down the halls and as she made her way to the throne, she let a partially excited sound.

"It's beautiful," Draco breathed, as he joined her. "I never could have imagined anything like this."

"It's quite something, isn't it?" Bill asked as he looked around the room.

"It's glorious," Theo said, "And absolutely fitting of person of Morgana's standing. I expect no less from a witch as great as she was."

Hermione raised a brow at his statement, but didn't question it as she began moving to the castle, towards an old staircase. She made her way up them, hearing the others behind her. She felt the magic flowing through her, and as if she was being drawn up the stairs towards a room in particular.

As she reached the top, she entered what she perceived to be Morgana's private study.

"This is where she probably created the curse!" Bill said excitedly, "If there ever was a spot where the answers could be, it would probably be in here!"

"Let's look around," Draco suggested, "See what we can find."

She took the desk that was left in the room and she looked at it. She felt a little guilty, disrupting the study of a woman who had long since passed. But the sheer amount of knowledge that was in the room amazed her. If they weren't here to break a curse, then she would want to just sit here for hours reading and learning more about the woman.

Hermione looked at a few of the papers on the desk, finding a few unsent letters and such. She delicately placed them in her bag for later, if it turned out there was something useful in them. As she looked through the drawers, she was met with nothing but feathers and old parchment.

"Find anything useful?" Theo asked as he came up behind her.

"No," she said slightly disappointedly. "I really hoped there would have been something here."

"Well there's still so much of this room, let alone this castle, to tackle," he said, giving her a soft smile. "Even if we don't find it here, there's still so many places we can look."

She sighed, "I just really feel like it would be in this room, you know?"

"Don't give up just yet," he placed a hand on her arm, "If anyone is smart enough to crack this curse, it would be you, Granger. You always were brighter than the rest of us."

She blushed slightly, feeling a little unsure of what to make of his compliment.

"That she is," Draco said, agreeing as he came up to them. She slipped her hand in his, and he squeezed it reassuringly.

"How about you come tackle this bookshelf with me?" Draco suggested, as he placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Done," she grinned, feeling excited at the prospect of looking at Morgana's book collection. She followed him over, as her fingers glided over the shelves, reading the titles.

Some were books on standard healing potions, while others involved books of everyday magic.

She lifted a few of the books from the shelves to flip through them. She recognized many of the potions and spells, but could tell the versions she knew had been modified by the years and by necessity. She couldn't help but wonder just how much had changed over the centuries for the spells she knew today to take its shape. It was beyond brilliant to see rough notes for other spells she knew, as it dawned on her that Morgana and Merlin together probably came up with several well-known spells they knew today.

What must it have been like to live in that era and craft spells so beautifully? If it weren't for Arthur and his tendency to try and wipe out magic, then she would have been almost envious of the fact that she could not experience it.

"That's odd," She heard Draco say with a frown as he attempted to take a book from the self.

"What?" she asked, curiously.

"I can't seem to remove this book from the shelf," he said, in a confused voice, "It's almost as if it's stuck."

"You just don't have a lot of experience in a library, I see," she laughed, as she moved closer to him. She reached out and pulled out the book, almost effortlessly.

"How did you do that?" Draco asked, almost accusingly, "It was clearly stuck well in there."

"Maybe I'm just stronger than you," she said, giving him an innocent smile, "Don't worry, I still fancy you, even if you aren't as physically capable as I am."

Bill snorted at the comment, and she saw Theo attempting to hide his own smirk.

Draco shook his head but smiled nonetheless, "You know this means I can get you to do all the physical labour now right? My own fragile hand aren't up to the task."

She laughed, as she opened the book up and began sifting through it.

"Draco," she said with a gasp, "This is it."

"What?" he asked, looking down.

"This book," she said, turning the pages. "It's all about her curse; her research, the formation, and what the final spell was. There might also be the counter curse in here."

"Only it's in old English," he frowned, "Gaelic almost. Hell some of these runes I don't even recognize myself. We might have the key, but we have no idea what any of it means just yet."

"So we break the curse," Bill said determinedly. "We'll work through the book, trying to figure out what all of it means, and just how we need to go about breaking this curse."

"Agreed," Theo nodded, "And between the four of us, I think we're more than capable of deciphering few runes."

Hermione frowned. It was going to be far harder than that. Who even knew if the books would be enough to break the curse, or if it would have anything they even needed to break it? What if it talked all about how it was created, yet Morgana never created an anecdote to the curse? What if she never intended for it to break?

She heard _kraa_ -ing, and looked outside for the source. Perched on a branch of a tree, she saw a raven sitting there, looking her in the eyes, as if it was trying to call to her. She made her way to the window and the raven made another sound, before flying away.

"Let's finish looking around here," Bill said, "And see if we can find anything else before we head out. Otherwise, it's not as if this castle is going anywhere. Let's refrain from telling the public about it just yet, so we can always come back if need be to find out if we missed anything. And in the meantime, we can work on trying to break this curse, and stopping it once and for all."

She nodded at that, as she gingerly placed the book in her bag. She gave the room one last look as they headed down the stairs and returned to the Ministry.

* * *

He stood at the window of Morgana's castle, feeling the magic in the grounds. For generations, they had been trying to find where her castle once stood, and it had been him who had finally found it.

It had been him who had spent years of his life, researching where the castle could be, and attempting to figure out how to get past the wards and the spells.

And if those idiots thought knowing a simple word was the sole reason they got in, then he would let them believe it.

It pained him; it really did. Because he loved Draco as if he was his own brother. Yet this was his birth right. His legacy. His throne. He would step forward and rule, as he finished what Morgana started all those years ago in wanting to restore their land to a proper owner.

The others were a mere unfortunate consequence. He would figure out just how they had gotten past the wards of the castle, but other than that, he would steer them as far away from breaking this curse as possible. For when the curse broke, it would be him at the helm of England, breaking it as its saviour. No one would take that away from him, no matter what they tried.

And as he stood at the window, he felt the raw magic manifest, as he saw darkness rising from the grounds and spreading across the land. It was time for the second wave to hit, and this time, he would manipulate how England perceived it.

He would cause fear and terror, and it would be magnificent.

Theo grinned to himself, well aware of just how much panic this would cause. And nothing anyone could do would stop him from reclaiming the birth right that belonged to him.


	22. Dealing

**Chapter 22**

 ** _December 1978_**

 _The one thing Marlene had noticed about being in a group that operated outside the law was that there were a lot of disagreements. While they weren't necessarily breaking any laws, the protocols they followed were not always all that clear._

 _It was apparent to all of them that Dumbledore was their leader, and he made most of the major decisions. And none of them disapproved with that. But it was the fact that there were other decisions that they all got to make which lead to problems._

 _It was the fact that there were often disagreements that lead to tension in the Order. It was the fact that it became harder and harder to all agree on what needed to be done._

 _And they were nowhere near the end of the war, and she was starting to wonder if they were fighting a hopeless cause. The country was divided with loyalties becoming very clear. And it wasn't uncommon to open the paper and read of deaths._

 _It broke her heart, and she was terrified that there was nothing they could do._

 _Except argue apparently._

 _"We need to step up our attacks," Sirius argued as he got a few supporting responses, both from James, and several other members. "If we bring the fight to them, then they stand less of a chance! We've been losing because we always show up too late to gain the advantage. We're out numbered, and never know what to expect."_

 _"Which is exactly why we need more allies," Remus cut in. "Our numbers are dismal, at best. And it doesn't help that his numbers seem to be rising each day. He's gaining support from unlikely sources, and we need to contact others before Voldemort does. We need them on our side."_

 _"But that takes away the man power from the front lines," Sirius argued. "And you already pointed out that those numbers are already low. So why take away an able fighter for a cause we probably won't even win?"_

 _"How can you write it out so quickly?" Remus demanded._

 _"Because I know a losing battle when I see one, Remus," Sirius said with a roll of his eyes. "And how many people do you see volunteering to go find more supporters? We need to fight if we're going to bring down Voldemort. Not cower off looking for others to do the dirty work for us."_

 _As Marlene looked around the room, she noted the room looking as if they supported Sirius. Lily looked torn, and Marlene placed her hand on Remus'._

 _"Enough," Dumbledore said, silencing them both. "Remus is right in the fact that our numbers are low, but I do not see how we can spare anyone at this current moment. So with that, I want to conclude this meeting."_

 _She could sense the room's feeling of confusion as Dumbledore dismissed them. She stood to leave, waiting for Remus, only to see Dumbledore pull him into a room. She gave him a curious look, and he gestured for her to leave without him._

 _Marlene wanted to stay and ask him of what Dumbledore wanted to talk to him about, but decided to wait until later that night to question him._

* * *

Hermione sighed as she turned the page of the book she had taken from Morgana's office. As she read page after page, it seemed as if it were nothing but notes as Morgana attempted to formulate the curse she had finally cast. There were scribbles of how she could manipulate different ingredients, spells, runes, could come together to create a curse.

If she weren't currently trying to break it, she would be impressed by the sheer amount of effort, skill, magic, and power that went into creating a curse that managed to stay active for millennia's. There was a reason why Morgana was noted as one of the most powerful witches in history, and this was it.

She turned the page once more, and was surprised to see the page blank, despite the fact that there were clearly words on the pages before and after. A blank page wasn't necessarily a suspicious thing in itself. Merlin knows she had accidently skipped pages in her own notebooks before. However while looking at it, she felt a sense of magic emulating from the page.

She looked at the page, and wondered if there was a chance that the words were on the page, but simply hidden. Hermione cast a few basic spell revealing charms, wondering if they would work. If the spells she used were new enough, then Morgana might not have accounted for them when initially sealing off her notebook. However, as expected, the spells failed to work.

She tried a few more advanced spells, and when those failed, she looked up at the others.

"Does anyone know any other revealing charms?" she asked curiously, after revealing her predicament.

Bill and Draco offered a few suggestions of their own, and she looked down, trying them.

As they failed, she tried a few other charms, which failed to work as well.

"Have you tried using blood?" Theo asked offhandedly.

Upon receiving dirty looks, he elaborated. "Morgana often used blood to seal of her items. It wasn't common practice to use blood magic, and she was often credited as being one of the first users of the magic. It wasn't thought to be dark then either since it was so new. Try a drop of blood, and see if that works."

"And if it doesn't, then it will stain an artefact!" Hermione exclaimed, a bit unsettled.

He rolled his eyes at her, "Try it, Granger. And if it doesn't work, just use a stain removal charm, simple."

She looked unsure, and Draco looked up at her, "I can use my blood so you don't have to," he offered, trying to prevent her from cutting herself, no matter how shallow it would be."

She shook her head as she used her want to cast a small cutting charm, and gently squeezed the blood onto the paper. She watched as the blood spread out on the page, before becoming absorbed.

Draco was about to retort something back to his friend, as she nudged him to look down.

The words on the page began to appear in front of their eyes, and she let out a gasp when she stared at the page, realizing the contents.

"This is it!" she said excitedly. "We found the curse! This is how Morgana finally created the curse!"

"We could use this to reverse the spell!" Bill said piping up. "If we have this, then we could basically crack the entire curse! We might be able to stop this thing once and for all!"

"We just need to decipher her runes and old English," Draco said with a soft sigh. "We need to be careful too in doing so. Who knows what the consequences of mistranslation could be. For all we know, it could accelerate the curse, or just kill us all straight up."

"So we do this properly," Hermione said determinedly. "And we only crack it when we're absolutely sure. We might not get any re-dos."

"Agreed," Theo said, looking thoughtfully at the page. "We wait until we're absolutely certain."

"We best get started then," Draco said as he pulled out some parchment and cloned the contents onto his page so he could make notes.

* * *

Hermione grinned as she watched Teddy flip through the pictured book he was "reading" on some wizard children's tale or the other.

When Remus first asked her if she could babysit her brother while he and Tonks went on a date, he had been slightly sceptical. It wasn't that she didn't love Teddy. She loved her brother more than anything. No, it was the fact that she had never actually babysat anyone before. Growing up as an only child, she never had the opportunity to take care of any siblings.

But Remus had rolled his eyes at her worry and told her that was the most capable person he knew. Really, it had been her only opposition, so she agreed and found herself sitting on the couch.

Her train of through was interrupted as she heard the floo sound. Glancing at Teddy, she stood, curious to see who had arrived.

Hermione made her way to the fireplace, surprised to see Draco standing there, looking sheepish.

"Oh good, I was afraid it would be Potter or Sirius Black who came to greet me," he said, as he kissed her cheek in greeting.

"They went out," she said with a laugh. "What are you doing here?" she asked as he scooped her up in his arms.

"I missed you," he said simply as he kissed her on the lips. "I haven't seen you a lot over the last few days aside from work."

She leaned into him as she kissed him back. She could sense the smirk on his face as she did so and pulled away with a shake of her head, despite the smile on her face, "I missed you too, Draco."

"Mione, I done my book!" she heard a tiny voice call out as she saw Teddy running into the room. Draco looked surprised as Teddy launched himself into her arms.

"Is that?" Draco questioned curiously.

"Draco, meet Teddy Lupin," she introduced, as her boyfriend stared at her brother curiously, "Teddy, this is Draco. He's your cousin."

Teddy looked up at Draco in astonishment as he reached forward to touch his face. Teddy's hair turned bright blonde as he burst into giggles.

"That's pretty neat," Draco said with a grin, "See, the kid already knows that Malfoys are the best looking bunch."

She rolled her eyes at his antics, and said, "He changes his appearance based on whomever he meets if he likes the person enough."

"Sure he does," Draco drawled teasingly. "Face it, Hermione; no Lupin is capable of saying no to this face. You all love me too much."

"I'm sure my father would agree with that," she said, and grinned as his face paled slightly at that implication.

"I suppose you have a point," Draco said softly. "As long as I have you and this one on my side, who else do I really need? I think I'm doing well if I have over half on my side."

"Half of my family?" she asked, "Oh Draco, there's so much more than just Teddy and Remus in my family. There's Tonks, too, for starters. And Harry, Ron, and the rest of the Weasleys; Sirius, too. And Merlin knows how many others. The fact that you have my younger brother on your side is minimal in comparison to who else is in my family."

His looked worried at the prospect of possibly being threatened by the better part of the Order, and the spells all of them knew. Hermione kissed his cheek softly to soothe him.

"I'm surprised you haven't made me meet them yet," he admitted to her, and she nodded.

"I know. I've just been so busy with everything that it's slipped my mind all together. I know that, all jokes aside, my father probably does want to meet you eventually. And Harry and Ron have been pushing to sit down with you and scare you senseless so that you behave."

"But it's so fun misbehaving," Draco said, pouting at her.

"Draco," she warned, as she saw Teddy watching closely. "Misbehaving means you don't get treats."

Teddy gasped at that, "Draco you should be good! Or you won't get sweets!"

Draco pretended to look horrified at that, "No treats? Hermione I promise to be good. Don't take away the treats!"

Teddy nodded solemnly at that, "Please, Mione?" Teddy asked, giving her a soft look.

She kissed her brother's nose softly and ginned, "I won't," she promised.

"Good," he said, looking relieved. "Can Draco play with us now? I want to play with my toys with him!"

"Of course," Draco nodded as he took Teddy from her, "I like playing with toys. Will you show me all the cool ones you own?"

Hermione grinned as she watched Draco place Teddy on the ground, and her brother all but drag him into the other room to show him the toys he had brought over.

While she knew he had come over to spend some time alone with her, it melted her heart to watch him interact with Teddy, in such a soft nature. And as she sat down beside them, and played with the toys Teddy had assigned her, she could picture her life years from now, with Draco and children of their own. She could sense herself falling for him, more and more, and for once in her life, she was not going to question it, and just go with it.

* * *

"He's in love with her," Remus said with a sigh as he sat down at the table beside his friend. Teddy was fast asleep, on one side of Draco, while Hermione was tucked into his other side. It wasn't that site that bothered him; no it was something more.

"Who, Malfoy?" Sirius questioned, as he poured them both a glass of fire whisky.

"Yes," Remus said, after talking a long drink of his.

"And that bothers you?" his friend asked, curiously. "Last I checked, you were the one pushing your daughter into the relationship with him."

"Guiding," he corrected. "I told her to follow her heart."

"So it does bother you," Sirius confirmed.

"No," Remus sighed again. "That's what's bothering me. That it doesn't. I don't know how to be a father, Sirius, not really. I'm still learning as I go with Teddy, and thankfully it's all worked out alright. Shouldn't I be furious at her dating, and threaten Malfoy? I just got her back in my life, Sirius. And I love Dora more than anything, but a part of me is so grateful to have a piece of Marlene back in my life. I don't want to lose Hermione again; not after just getting her back. But at the same time, he makes her happy. And she might not have realized it yet, but she's in love with him too. I can see it on her face every time she looks at him."

"You're not a bad father because you just found out you had a daughter," Sirius told him firmly. "Remus, if anyone out of the Marauders was equip to be a father, it would have been you. Don't get me wrong, James was brilliant with Harry, but you were always the most mature out of all of us. You were the one who kept us grounded and made sure we never got too carried away. You're not a bad father because you're not giving Malfoy a hard time for wanting to be with Hermione. Besides, that girl has always taken after her mother, even if we didn't realised it. Try telling her she can't do something, and Hermione will prove you wrong, time and time again. She's brilliant, and she's got a good head on her shoulders."

"She doesn't really need me," Remus mused, looking at the wall. "She's all grown up now. She doesn't really need a father to try and guide her through life."

"She might not need you to raise her, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't need you, Remus," Sirius said softly. "Harry doesn't need me either, yet that doesn't mean we can't be there for them. We just need to be their family."

"I'm glad I found her," he said softly, "Or she found me, I suppose."

"It makes our family tree pretty messed up," Sirius laughed. "You're married one of my cousin's daughter, and your daughter is dating my other cousin's son."

Remus grinned at that, "Well the Black family always was known for marrying within the family."

"Within the family yes," Sirius rolled his eyes. "Within your family, not so much."

"Ah yes," Remus grinned, "We were always too Gryffindor for the Blacks, were we not?"

"My mother always disapproved of the Potters and McKinnons. And look at our family now; Harry's my godson, and Marlene and your daughter is dating the son of a Black and a Malfoy," Sirius said with a smirk. "She would roll in her grave."

"I wonder just how dear Lucius is taking the news," Remus pondered.

"Either he doesn't know, or Draco is ignoring his father's advice. Even if she's not a muggleborn, I can't see Lucius being happy at his son's mate," Sirius said, in response. "Either way, it amazes me; that a boy who was so clearly his father's son can change for the better."

"War does that to you," Remus said softly, "And Hermione, Harry, and Ron got the thrown straight into it like the rest of us. But at least they weren't thrown into the darkness like Draco was." He waited for a moment before adding, "You should talk to her, Sirius."

"Who?" he asked, offhandedly.

"Narcissa. I know you and Andromeda were always close growing up, but she's your family too. And with Hermione and Draco being together, you're going to run into her sooner or later. I know you miss her."

Sirius sighed, "You're right; I do. But I don't even know where she stands or if she even wants anything to do with me after everything that happened in our family. We didn't exactly part on good note."

"Talk to Hermione," Remus suggested, "She can ask Draco if his mother would be open to mending her relationship with you and Andromeda.

Sirius nodded, and Remus couldn't help but wonder if he would take Remus' advice to heart.

At the very least, it made him happy that his daughter had found someone who made her happy, given all the pain and loss she had in her life. And Sirius was right; she might not need him to raise her, but he would be there for her for every aspect of her life, no matter how big or small.


	23. Gone

**Chapter 23**

 ** _January 1979_**

 _It wasn't often both of them had an evening off combined with no missions for the Order. So Marlene wasn't about to squander it by sitting around on her own, doing nothing. She planned on using this opportunity to enjoy a nice evening with Remus._

 _It helped that her parents had gone out for the day, meaning she could be truly alone with Remus._

 _So she had spent the better part of the last few hours cooking, trying to make sure everything was just perfect._

 _And when Remus showed up, cleanly shaved, and in a pair of nice robes, she felt her heart melt at the sight of him._

 _He had kissed her softly after placing a bottle of wine on the counter, and handed her a bouquet of flowers._

 _"I missed you," she said when they pulled away. Because she did. Their lives had become so chaotic and busy lately._

 _Her job had become a lot busier; with the increase of Death Eater attacks, St Mungos was overflowing with patients, and it broke her heart at times to see so many patients injured and harmed for defending themselves, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or simply for their blood status._

 _"I've missed you too, Marl," Remus said as he stroked her face softly._

 _Together, they sat down at ate the dinner she had worked so hard to make. He was telling her about his day at the shop and after she filled him in on the patients she saw. She told him of how stressful working was becoming, due to all the pain and deaths, but how she refused to change her profession, or at least work on a less stressful floor._

 _And after they had finished, and she started to clean up, Remus swept her off her feet, literally. She had laughed, as she kissed him fervently, while he carried her in his arms towards her bedroom._

 _Later, when they were lying in bed together, Remus turned to her._

 _"I have to leave," he said suddenly._

 _She turned to face him, "Right now? Did something happen?"_

 _"Not now," he shook his head. "But soon."_

 _She felt herself growing frustrated at how vague he was being. "How soon?" she asked, "Why? Remus, what's going on?"_

 _"I can't tell you," he said softly, "I wish I could, but I can't. All I can say is that it's important, and that Dumbledore wants me to."_

 _"I can pack a bag," she said, unsure. "Let me come with you. Whatever Dumbledore wants you to do, we can do it together. You don't have to do this alone."_

 _"But I do," he said softly, "I wish I could explain it Marlene. I want to tell you what's happening. But I can't. This is something I have to do all by myself. This is something I_ _ **need**_ _to do. Please understand, Marlene. Please tell me you understand."_

 _"Remus, you don't have to go off on some mission because of how unsure you feel of your place here," she said struggling, "I love you! We all love you. Please don't leave. Or at least tell me you're taking one of the boys with you."_

 _"I can't," he said, breaking her heart, "Marlene, this is important. And it breaks my heart that I have to leave you. I don't want to. I want to stay by your side and wake up next to you every morning. I want to love you for the rest of my life. I want to marry you, and when I get back, I have every intention of making you my wife, I promise. But I need to do this."_

 _She didn't understand. How could he think leaving could help anything, or how he seemed to be so okay with all of this?_

 _He pulled her lips up to meet hers, and she let her hands roam over his body. She wasn't ready to let him go, and she planned on marching to Dumbledore first thing in the morning and demanding to go with him._

 _It was only when she woke up the next morning, and found the bed empty beside her that she truly understood; Remus was gone, and she had no idea where or why._

* * *

Hermione watched Draco's eyebrows furrow in confusion as his eyes read the letter he had received a few moments ago.

"Who is it from?" she inquired curiously.

"My mother," he said, as he wordlessly handed her the letter.

 _Dear Draco,_

 _I wanted to say that I am rather disappointed. It's been weeks since you've informed me of the identity of your mate, yet in all of that time, you've made no effort to introduce Miss Granger to me. I would like to request that you bring her over for tea later today so that I can finally met her._

 _All My Love,_

 _Mother._

"She wants to meet me?" Hermione asked, slightly confused as she handed the letter back to him. "So she knows?"

"That you're my mate?" Draco asked, "She was the first person I told when I found out. Hell, she was the only person I've told."

"Does she approve?" Hermione asked, her voice sounding unsure even to her.

"She doesn't care about blood status anymore, if that's what you're asking," Draco told her softly, as he stroked her face softly. "Not when following a madman tore her family apart. I mean, obviously you're not a muggleborn anymore, but even if you were, she would be fine with it. She wants me to be happy. My father is a veela too, so she understands the bond better than most people."

"Does your father know?" she asked curiously. He didn't talk much about his father, and normally she wouldn't ask, but she wanted to know.

"He does," Draco confirmed, "Mother mentioned a while back how he wrote her a nasty letter demanding I end my relationship with you, or that he'll disinherit me. Not like he has that power from Azkaban. Hell, he's probably said worse to me in the letters he wrote, if I bothered opening them. Probably why he bothered to write the letter to her directly in the first place."

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

"For what? That my father won't accept my relationship with you? He should know better than anyone how much I need you in my life. Hermione, that man stopped being my father in sixth year when he offered me up to the Dark Lord on a silver platter to save face. Hell, he never was much of a father anyways. It's not your fault that I don't have a relationship with my father.

"I want to meet her," she said softly, "While you didn't exactly meet my father officially yet, he still saw you the next morning after you came over. And I know he wants to meet you. And I want to meet your mother too, to get to know her."

Draco smiled at that, "I'll tell her we'll come over for tea tomorrow then."

Which was how she found herself outside a rather large house in the country side of France. Draco mentioned it was one of their summer homes, but she should have known better than to expect it to be any smaller or less grand than the Manor.

When she entered the home, she looked around and gasped. The walls were filled with gorgeous pieces of art, and the ceilings were high and vaulted. There were gold trimmings lining the room and it was one of the nicest homes she had ever been in.

"It's beautiful," she said softly.

"I am rather glad you think so," Narcissa said as she entered the room gracefully, "Seeing how one day all of this will belong to you."

She blushed at the implication behind the remark and Narcissa approached, standing right in front of you.

"I'm glad to finally meet you, Miss Granger, under far more pleasant circumstances. I know it doesn't mean much, but I do apologise for your visit to the Manor."

"Thank you," she said with a nod, "I appreciate it. And I want you to know that I do not blame either of you for it."

Narcissa offered her a small smile as she led the two of them towards the parlour.

"So what have you been up to since you've graduated school?" Narcissa asked, as she sat down in a chair, while she and Draco shared a couch across from her.

"I've joined the Ministry of Magic," Hermione said as she took a sip of the tea Narcissa had poured for her, "Working as an Unspeakable."

"That's admirable," Narcissa said approvingly, "Merlin knows they only take the brightest and the best. Draco mentioned that the two of you were working together."

She glanced over at her boyfriend, but nodded, "That's right. One of our cases have brought us together since we were in school. It was nice to run into him again after all that time."

"I can't imagine how difficult the last few months must have been for you," Narcissa said softly, "Your parents, finding out who your biological parents were, the truth about Draco; if you ever need anyone to talk to, I'm here. I understand how you must feel in terms of finding out you're his mate. Lucius didn't bother to tell me until just before our wedding."

"Thank you," Hermione said with a smile, "And that must have been just awful to find out then. I understand Draco's concerns in why he waited a little while before telling me, but I am rather glad he told me sooner rather than later. But it will be nice to get firsthand information on what to expect for later stages of our relationship."

"So where are you staying currently?" Narcissa asked.

"With Harry and Sirius at Grimmuald place," Hermione said carefully, knowing the latter could prove to be slightly difficult for the woman.

Draco looked over at his mother, and Hermione could tell the woman wanted to say something. After a few moments, she spoke again.

"How is Sirius?" Narcissa asked, picking up her cup of tea. "I haven't talked to either him or Andromeda in years."

"He's doing well," Hermione said with a smile, "He's enjoying his freedom now that the truth of Peter Pettigrew has come out. Andromeda is well, too. She's a grandmother now, to Teddy Lupin, or my little brother."

"I'm glad," Narcissa said, with a hint of sadness, and Hermione couldn't help but feel sorry for the woman.

"I'm sure both of them would love to hear from you," she told her. "I can talk to them about a reconciliation, and see what they say about it."

"That would be lovely," Narcissa said sincerely, "Now, tell me, what are your plans for the future with my son? When can I expect to plan a wedding? I too would love some grandchildren to spoil one day."

And with that, Hermione blushed, and Draco groaned, and the conversation changed course, flowing in a far more natural direction. The pair of them stayed over at Draco's mother's place for a few more hours, eventually eating dinner, before they decided to head out.

If there was one thing she wanted to do now more than anything, it was to reacquaint Narcissa with her family. She could tell the woman was lonely, with her husband in Azkaban, and her son in another country. She just hoped Andromeda and Sirius would be as open to the idea.

* * *

Hermione stood nervously in the room they had spent so long in while attempting to break this curse. They had everything they needed right in front of them, the cauldron, and the instructions of how Morgana brewed the curse in the first place.

To break the curse, they would need to replicate the spell and potion perfectly, and there was no room for mistakes.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked her softly, as he approached her.

"What if we do something wrong?" she asked, worried. "Draco, the consequences of us failing could be catastrophic. The entire fate of the English Wizarding world is riding on us. What if we fail, and this curse spreads worldwide? What if it kills all of us at once? What if-"

"We don't have time to worry about what ifs." Draco told her softly, "Hermione, we've already translated most of this curse. We just have a few sections left. And we make sure we're all satisfied with the translation before we go and try and break it. But we need to try something. Otherwise we're all probably going to die anyways. But we need to believe that we've done it right."

She nodded softly, and he wrapped his arms around her. Hermione held him tightly, as she calmed her breathing. She took comfort in his words, as she attempted to believe that they had hope of solving this; it was imperative that they didn't fail.

"We should finish the translation," Theo said, as she pulled away from Draco. She walked over to the table, and grabbing an old textbook of ancient runes, she sat down. For each and every rune, they sat down and debated the true latin translation for each word.

And when they were happy with it, they moved on to the next rune.

However there were a few runes here and there, where only one of them knew the translation, and that worried her. And they had all searched in the books they owned to find something to verify it, however they were left with blanks. So they had no choice but to accept the translation they had been given.

It took the better part of a few hours to get through the entire section, even though there were only a few lines involved.

She supposed it was because it was the meaning behind the words; the pain Morgana must have felt when she cast it. She channeled raw magic, combined with ingredients that were potent in themselves. It was no wonder she succeeded in casting such a deathly curse.

"I think we have it," Draco said after they translated the last rune. They had already gathered all the potion ingredients, shy of the blood of the caster.

She looked at the page, as she saw the words they had spent so much effort trying to decipher.

 _Audi furore meo, audire dolor._

 _Audi vocem eorum innocentia nocere._

 _Affer mihi de iustitia, salvabit me._

 _Affer mihi de morte, et adducite mihi in salutem._

 _Caedis mihi paucos centuriones millibus._

 _Et ego ero eis in salutem._

Morgana had demanded justice for those who Arthur had hurt and killed in his crusade to wipe out magic, by calling for the deaths of hundreds and thousands. She wanted to be their saviour, yet she never got around to breaking the curse.

Hermione couldn't help but wonder of the poetic justice involved in all of this, or the irony where it was Morgana who was feared years later for killing innocents, when she had done it to save everyone, in her own way.

"I think we're ready," Bill said, breaking the silence they had all been maintaining.

They began pouring the ingredients into the cauldron in the order the instructions dictated.

 _The dirt from the graves of those lost unfairly_

That part they had gotten some dirt from graveyard of those lost during the war. It had been hard, emotionally, to visit the site, even with Draco there the entire time.

 _Sulphur_

 _Ashes from a fire_

 _Aconite, all in equal parts._

 _Bloodroot_

 _Lethe River Water, taken at dawn_

 _Petals from Lily of the Valley_

 _The Blood of the Caster_

 _Jimson weed_

 _Nightshade_

Some of the ingredients had been harder to get than others. Bill had decided to take the role of the caster, to prevent them from having to shed blood or face the side effects if something went wrong.

As the poured the ingredients in, she could see them slowly reacting with one another, changing colours from a sinister purple, to a deathly green, to finally a gloomy black.

"Are we ready?" Bill asked, taking a knife as he sliced his hand, pouring in the blood.

As the others nodded, they began to chant.

" _Audi furore meo, audire dolor. Audi vocem eorum innocentia nocere. Affer mihi de iustitia, salvabit me._

 _Affer mihi de morte, et adducite mihi in salutem. Caedis mihi paucos centuriones millibus. Et ego ero eis in salutem."_

" _Audi furore meo, audire dolor. Audi vocem eorum innocentia nocere. Affer mihi de iustitia, salvabit me._

 _Affer mihi de morte, et adducite mihi in salutem. Caedis mihi paucos centuriones millibus. Et ego ero eis in salutem."_

" _Audi furore meo, audire dolor. Audi vocem eorum innocentia nocere. Affer mihi de iustitia, salvabit me. Affer mihi de morte, et adducite mihi in salutem. Caedis mihi paucos centuriones millibus. Et ego ero eis in salutem."_

It was after the third time chanting, that something began to happen.

She watched in part shock, horror, and fascination, as the cauldron began to bubble, and a dark smoke rose from the potion.

Despite being deep in the ministry, she could hear the thunder, as the smoke rolled out of the cauldron and swept across the room. The candle flame began to flicker, and she felt Draco take her hand, as the ground rumbled.

The bubbling of the potion increased, as she saw more and more smoke pour out, before the candles that had been lighting the room went out.

She grabbed her wand, as she lit the room, and saw that the smoke had dissipated completely. The ground had stopped shaking finally, and she could tell the thunder had stopped.

But there was still one question on her mind: did it work?

Theo had been the first to break the silence, asking the question they had all been holding.

"Did we do it?" he asked, looking around the room, "Did we manage to break the-"

His voice cut off, as his eyes swept over Bill. She followed his gaze, and gasped in horror as she saw Bill on the ground, clutching his arm.

His veins in his hand, and forearm were a dark black, and she could tell from his wince that he was in pain.

"I think we made it worse," She said, scared. Who knew what other consequences were involved in their attempt to break the curse.


	24. Alone

**Chapter 24**

 ** _March 1979_**

 _It had been almost three months since Marlene had seen Remus last. It had been almost three months since she had even heard from him._

 _And it hadn't been easy._

 _She was confused more than anything. The morning after he had left, she had turned to Dumbledore for answers, begging him to tell her where Remus had gone, and if there was anything she could do to help. Remus didn't have to go through this battle alone; she could have been there, fighting by his side and helping him do whatever it was that he had been assigned. But Dumbledore refused to tell her; saying it wasn't his place, and this was something Remus had do on his own._

 _James and Lily had been there for her, offering her comfort and a place to stay. Neither of them knew anything of Remus' whereabouts, much to James' dismay, but they had been pushing Dumbledore at each Order meeting, demanding answers, demanding to know where Remus was and why he had to do it alone._

 _On top of that, the tensions were rising in the Order. In the recent attacks, it always seemed as if the Death Eaters knew a little too much about their attacks. Somehow, the Death Eaters, always seemed to know when the Order would make a move, who would be present, what their weaknesses were, and just how to thwart them._

 _And as terrible as it was, they all knew there was only explanation which could make sense of how the always came up short, despite how hard they fought; they had a mole._

 _She could tell everyone was suspicious of the others, despite how hard they tried not to be. What did you do when the people you grew up with, who you fought with side by side for almost a year, could potentially be your enemy in disguise?_

 _How could she look them all in the eyes the next day, knowing one of them was the reason more and more of her friends were falling in battle? That they were the reason her friend's homes were being raided, and that they were being sold out, leaving the, to the vulnerabilities of the spy._

 _Especially when the Gryffindor in her wanted to be able to trust her friends. How could she not? The moment they all turned on each other was the moment they lost the war. It didn't matter how strong they were or how hard they fought, if none of them believed in the other._

 _It also didn't help that Remus was gone. Not just because she missed him._

 _She heard the murmurings in meetings. How could the others trust that he wasn't off playing spy with Voldemort if no one even knew where he was?_

 _It didn't help that Voldemort was recruiting werewolves; offering them a home and the support the wizarding world had denied them for far too long._

 _And that was what all of them had wanted; a place where they felt they like they belonged._

 _Which was why she knew a good deal of the order believed it was Remus who was the spy. Because who better than to be a spy than the man who wasn't present, and couldn't defend himself?_

 _Sirius believed it, much to her chagrin._

 _She didn't understand how he could buy into it; they were friends for Merlin's sake. They had grown up together, and gone through so much. How did three months change that? How did three months of absence equal Remus being a spy?_

 _It just didn't make sense to her, even if she knew the two of them had been falling apart for much longer than the little while since Remus left. The two of them had been arguing about almost everything even when he was here, and she knew that they were unraveling._

 _Peter didn't buy into it, much to her relief. He had comforted her, after an Order meeting when it felt like it was her against the rest of them, and told her that there was no way he believed that Remus could be the spy; not after everything he had done for them._

 _She had taken comfort in knowing that other than Sirius, there were others willing to fight for the belief that Remus was innocent and fight for the fact that they didn't believe he was capable of the horrid things he was being accused of._

 _It didn't help that she felt sick for the better part of the first two months after Remus had left. She had chalked it up to stress and a stomach bug, but it still meant she hadn't been able to fight for that while as the others were worried about her health._

 _She wanted to scream; she just wanted Remus to come home, and she didn't want to have to deal with any of this on her own anymore. She wanted to prove Sirius wrong._

 _None of it made any sense to her, and she was tired of trying to figure it all on her own._

* * *

 ** _Mysterious Deaths Sweep the Country_**

 _By Hannah Leare_

 _In a shocking turn of events, many woke up this morning to find loved ones dead in their homes. Reports say these victims were found with yellow eyes, and in a pool of blood they coughed up. Reports also claim that these victims had experienced mild flu symptoms earlier that day, however had not thought much of it._

 _When asking an expert from St Mungos if the symptoms are similar to any known wizarding viruses, we were told that upon further research and autopsies conducted on some of the bodies, the viral infection does not resemble any known contagions known to the wizarding world._

 _Which leaves much to speculation and many questions unanswered._

 _Others are wondering if this could be the work of any outstanding Death Eaters who have evaded capture. Is this a new technique being spread in an attempt to bring the wizarding world to its knees?_

 _When questioning Minister Shacklebolt, the Minister stated that at the current moment, they did not have any leads or knowledge on the virus, but when more details are learned, he will make a formal statement._

 _While viral outbreaks are not strangers to the wizarding world, in the last hundred or so years, they have not been as common. So why now? What changed over the little while in which the virus started? Who was patient 0?_

 _This reporter vows to find out, and inform the public about the truth behind these outbreaks._

Hermione sighed as she threw the paper to the side and buried her head.

How had they messed up so royally?

Somehow, in the span of a day, they had made a centuries old curse even worse. As it turned out, they had sped up the progression of the curse, and making it so that they had even less time than before to break it. Who knew how long they had now, until the curse killed them all off?

And on top of that, using Bill's blood had released a different curse onto him. The veins in his hand had turned completely black, and she could tell that ever so slowly it was spreading up his arm. It was only a matter of time until whatever poisoned curse it was reached his heart. And who knew what would happen then?

All because they thought they knew how to break the curse; now they were all doomed.

"I figured it out," Draco said, calling the attention of the room, which was really only her, Theo, and Draco. Bill was currently in St. Mungos' attempting to be treated. She knew it was no use though; their only hope was to break the curse to save him, to save them all.

Yet clearly they had no idea how to do it.

"Well not how to break the curse, but one of the things we did wrong," he amended, as he pointed to the untranslated word for _blood_.

"What's wrong with it?" Theo questioned with a frown.

"It doesn't just mean blood," Draco told him. "It literally means ' _blood of the caster_ '."

"But Morgana is long dead," Hermione said, feeling distraught.

"It has another meaning," Draco said to her softly, "Blood of the caster, or not literally just their blood, but a direct descendant's blood. If Morgana ever had any family then we could use their blood."

"Did Morgana ever have any children?" Hermione asked Theo.

The man took a step back and looked pensive, "I'm not sure, but it's something I can look into. As I said, most of my knowledge is of Merlin and Arthur, however I'm sure we could find out if she ever had any relationships after she fled Arthur's side."

Hermione sighed, knowing that they had yet another vague clue. Would said descendant even know they were the descendant, if they even existed? Tracing family lines to the early 1600s was easy, as that was when many of the current prominent families emerged. Hell, tracing them back even a few hundred years before that was do-able. But to trace a tree back nearly 1500 years, when there may not even be a record of a birth?

And what happened if there was no heir? Morgana intended for herself to be the only person who could break this curse. What did they do if there was no heir around?

It would make it nearly impossible.

She sighed, as somehow they were left with more questions than answers; they were running out of time. That much was certain.

* * *

Hermione sat nervously at the table, with Harry and Ron seated across from her.

In a way she was surprised, knowing how close she was to her friends. The fact that it took her so long to tell them about everything that was going on in her lives, but she knew she needed to tell them.

"I've been keeping the truth from you," she said, breaking the silence, and you deserve to know.

"What about?" Ron said warily as he looked at her.

"So many things," she said quietly. "Too many things. I'm so sorry. I should have come to you with everything sooner, and now…"

Harry rubbed her back soothingly, "Tell us what happened, Hermione. It's not too late."

"It's about everything," she told them. "There's so much I need to tell you."

"Start at the beginning," Ron said encouragingly. "Hermione, whatever it is, we love you."

"I've been seeing Draco," she said, deciding to start at the beginning. "And there's a curse threatening to wipe out all of England."

Ron started coughing, and Harry stared at her with wide eyes.

"Start at the beginning," Ron said again, looking a little upset, "And don't leave out anything."

"It all kinda intertwines," she said to them. "I met Draco again because Kinglsey brought us and Bill onto the same team. Years ago, Morgana cast a dark curse in an attempt to get back at her brother, and to be England's saviour. The curse would send a plague to sweep over the nation and wipe out a good number of the population, striking ever hundred or so odd years. As it turned out, the curse was just around the corner, and Kinglsey was worried that due to our low population numbers due to the war, we might not survive. So we started working to try and crack the curse."

"Which was how I got closer to Draco. From the moment he re-entered my life, I was attracted to him," she said, causing Ron to wince. "We went on a few dates, and I know this might be weird to say, seeing how the two of you haven't always gotten along with him, but we had a strong connection. There was something about him that I couldn't explain."

"He's a Veela," Hermione told them, and that earned shocked responses from both her friends. "He told me after, and apparently I was his mate. And I was so confused and angry with him for not telling me; for making me feel like a fool for feeling like I had a chance when I really didn't. But I took some time to think about it, and I talked to my father about it."

"You don't have to be with him," Ron said firmly, "Not because of some so-called bond. Hermione, you deserve to be with someone because you want to be with them. Not because some wanker is telling you that you're destined to be together."

She shook her head, "It's not like that Ron. That's not how the bond works. Trust me, I researched it; I'm living it. I feel it, every time I'm with him. He makes me happy, and I know that even without him being a Veela, the two of us could genuinely be happy together."

Ron looked unhappy, and like he wanted to retort.

"I trust you," Harry told her, "And if you say that he makes you happy, then that's enough for me. If you were willing to give him a chance and if you want to be with him, then I support you. I'm not saying the two of us will suddenly be friends, but I'll be nice to him, provided he does the same."

She smiled at her friend and squeezed his hand.

"I don't like it," Ron said finally. "I don't understand it either. But if he makes you happy, then I'll tolerate him. And if he hurts you, you can rest be assured that I'm going to make his life miserable."

Hermione grinned at the both of them, pleased that the two of them took it so well, or at least better than she had anticipated.

"Now go back to the curse," Harry said, sounding concerned. "That was what happened last night, wasn't it? What caused all those deaths, and Bill to be hospitalized."

Hermione nodded, feeling miserable, "We thought we figured it out," she said softly, "We were so sure we knew exactly what to do to break the curse, and it turned out we were wrong. And now so many innocents are dead. And Bill is hurt. I should have used my own blood instead. It should have been me and not Bill."

"No," Ron said firmly, "Hermione, this was not your fault. The curse wasn't cast by you. You didn't cause those deaths. As horrid as it sounds, the curse would have killed them off anyways. You tried to help, and this was an unfortunate step back. But it's not the end. You have Harry and I. We'll figure this out. I promise. This curse will not be the end of us."

She stood up and hugged both of her friends, feeling comforted. They still had a long way to go to break this curse, but at least she never had to go through any of it alone. And nothing was about to change that.

* * *

Theo stood on the rooftop of a building in Diagon Alley and stared out at the population.

He could smell the panic in the air, as the curse took root deeper. Their actions last night had served to further along his plans, better than he could have hoped. For now, the rest of the population knew something was wrong. The fear was spreading as they scrambled to try and find the root of the deaths that had occurred.

But it was not a complete victory. The others were coming close to solving the way to break the curse. Theo could only continue to mistranslate runes for so long until someone went over them and figured out the translations were incorrect. And if anyone traced those runes back to him, they would either take him off the team, or they would start to speculate as to why all his runes were incorrect.

Weasley would most likely be out of the picture for the time being, and Granger would be distraught. Her family was the one getting hurt by their actions after all. And with Granger in pain, Draco would be distracted.

He smiled sadly at the thought of his friend. When everything was done, would Draco understand why he had done it; why he had to do it? He needed to save everyone, as his birthright.

As the descendant of Mordred, it was his duty to see the curse broken. And now, after years of waiting and searching, all the pieces had finally fallen in line for them to do so for the first time in millennium. They had the spell that cast the curse, the location where the curse had been first cast, and the descendant they needed. Yet it was only Theo who knew just where all the pieces lay on the board.

So at the end of the day, it didn't matter how close the others came to breaking the curse, as they would never be able to do so. By time they even came close to finding the true heir, he would be well on his way to victory.

It helped that he knew who the descendant was; the information had been stored in his family's journals as they raised the offspring of Morgana. They had lost track through the years, but Theo was smarter. He had spent years of his life tracing the tree, connecting the dots his ancestors had left in their journals as every now and then they found the current heir. Hell, he had known who it was well before he joined the team.

Yet as it turned out, he knew just whose blood needed to be used. And better yet, they had no idea. Which would make it far easier to manipulating them into joining their side.

He would gain his victory yet; it was so close he could practically grab it. Everything his ancestors had worked so hard to achieve was about to pay off. Theo just had to make his move now, taking what was rightfully his; England.


	25. Secrets

**Chapter 25**

 ** _May 1979_**

 _The amount of things Marlene McKinnon was currently worried about was enough to cause anyone to stress. Her boyfriend was Merlin knows where, doing some sort of secret mission, and she had no way of knowing he was still alive except from the odd reassurance from Dumbledore that he was indeed alive and well. And on top of that, she knew very few people still trusted that Remus was on their side. It didn't even make sense to her; the spy was still passing information, and thus it needed to be someone who was still in the Order, and not Remus who had no contact with any of them for months. Yet they still blamed him anyway, partially out of anger for not being on the front lines with them, and partially out of betrayal as he didn't tell them where he was going._

 _Then there was this forsaken war, which seemed to drag on and on with no end in sight. Everywhere she turned someone was getting injured or killed, and it felt like Marlene lost more patients than she saved these days due to the nature of their injuries._

 _She knew it bothered her mother and father that she was fighting. They wanted to know she would be safe, and charging off into battle wasn't exactly reassuring. And she loved them, but she couldn't quite explain to them why she needed to do this in a way they could understand._

 _She couldn't help but feel so alone lately. She knew she still had Lily and James, Alice, and Mary, yet it seemed like everyone had their own problems to deal with. She couldn't exactly stay over at their place, sulking all the time because her boyfriend wouldn't tell her where he went._

 _So Marlene took to bonding with Peter, who she could tell felt like just as lonely as she did. The two of them would talk for hours, about everything, and in his company she felt a little less alone. Honestly, if she didn't have his friendship, she had no idea just what she would do._

 _Except her latest problem was one she wasn't quite sure what to do about. She was late; very, very late. And Marlene was the kind of person whose periods always came like clockwork._

 _She knew deep down what it meant, but she refused to process it. She wasn't even sure, for Morgana's sake. She didn't even know for sure that it meant just what she had been speculating. It wasn't like stress had been lacking from her life recently, and that would be more than enough to cause anyone to miss a period, or five. Right?_

 _"It's going to be okay, Marlene," James told her, as he sat down beside her. She had gone straight over to their place, panicking about the fact that she could be pregnant, and James had taken to calming her down while Lily brewed a pregnancy test potion for her._

 _"What if I am?" she asked, a few tears falling down her face, "I can't do this without Remus, James. And what if he never comes home? What if something happens to him, and this baby grows up without a father?"_

 _"Nothing will happen to Remus," James told her firmly. "I'll talk to Dumbledore and tell him to bring Remus home. You're more important than whatever his mission is. And Marl, you won't be alone. If you think for even a second that we would let you go through any of this by yourself, you have another thing coming. You'll always have Lily and I, Peter, and Sirius, even if his friendship has been a little strained lately. I promise you. And your parents are going to be there for you too."_

 _She groaned at the thought. While she loved her parents, she couldn't see them being overjoyed by the fact that she had gotten pregnant so young and out of wedlock. But it wasn't as if they would throw her to the streets once they found out. They would stand by her, and help her every step of the way._

 _Lily came back into the room, holding a clear looking potion, as she handed it to Marlene. She sat down beside her, and Lily took her hand into her own._

 _"Drink the potion," Lily instructed. "Then if you glow white, you're pregnant. If not, then you're not."_

 _James rubbed her back softly, as Marlene tilted the vial and downed it. When the vial was empty, she handed it back to her friend and made a face. It wasn't the worst tasting potion she had ever had, but it was less than pleasant._

 _When nothing happened right away, she turned to her friend and said, "How long does this take? Do I just sit around waiting for myself to start glowing? What if it doesn't take root right away and I think I'm not pregnant, only to start glowing at dinner with my parents? Merlin that would be unfortunate."_

 _"Give it a few moments," Lily said softly, "It needs to work its way through your body before it has time to determine if-"_

 _She looked at her friend, expecting her to finish her statement, but saw James and Lily looking at her stunned._

 _Marlene looked down at her abdomen and saw it glowing white._

 _She was pregnant with Remus' child, and he wasn't with her._

 _She started crying, unsure of what to do. It wasn't like she hadn't seen this coming; she had known she probably was pregnant even before coming over. Yet she had hoped that she wouldn't be. She had wished that it was just a result of stress or something else. But here she was, knowing the truth._

 _James wrapped his arms around her as she sobbed, and Lily soothingly tried to calm her down with her words. She slept over at their place that night, as neither wanted her to be alone, and she wasn't quite ready to face her parents just yet. She had no idea what she would do, but at least she knew she had friends who would stand by her._

* * *

Draco was frustrated. All his attempts to trace back Morgana's family tree were falling short. It seemed like no matter how he tried, he was met with dead ends.

He tried starting at recent years, using old families he knew, and tracing their lines backwards. But it seemed like he couldn't get past certain years, namely the 1000s CE. Because after that point there was little records of families. Even his own was hard to date past that point. What was the point in being part of a family who could boast having old blood for so long, if it turned out they could hardly trace it past a thousand years?

And it wasn't as if they had records of any child Morgana may have had. It had clearly been kept a secret, so it hadn't been noted for that very reason.

He had even tried going about checking if any old families had boasted claims to being related to Morgana, however most simply attempted to try staking claim to one of the founders of Hogwarts, or even Merlin. But never the female witch.

It would have been so much easier if the lineage spell had been created sooner. That way, regardless of if someone noted it down, the line would have shown up. However he supposed someone could always use a concealing charm to prevent the name from being noted down.

He had even taken to going through Merlin's journals, trying to see what he had noted about his love, yet it seemed that all mentions of Morgana after she left Arthur's castle were cold and detached. He spoke of needing to defeat her, and how Arthur was starting to come around to see the uses of magic. He never mentioned loving her after that, nor did he mention how he had one point planed on marrying her. Hell, he mentioned her as minimally as possible.

It was almost as if Merlin was attempting to drown out all thoughts of his love for the witch, and hoped that by not writing of her, he could forget her.

So it was safe to say that if Merlin had any knowledge of her child, he chose not to record it. He wondered if that was one of the reasons for Merlin's heartbreak. Had Morgana betrayed him and taken another lover?

Not that any of it even mattered. If there was no record of Morgana's child, how was he supposed to find her? How was he supposed find this person and then somehow convince them to partake in this spell? What if they knew of their heritage, and chose not to help them for that very reason? What if they wanted the spell to succeed and they wanted to wipe out the wizarding world so they could rule those who remained?

How long would it be, before the curse took someone he loved?

Draco closed his eyes, refusing to think about losing his mother or Hermione. Both were too important to him, and he knew he couldn't cope with the loss of either. And He loved Hermione enough for it to destroy him if he lost her.

He sighed, as he grabbed yet another book on wizarding family lines, hoping that it may contain the clue they needed to trace Morgana's heir.

* * *

Hermione set the table, slightly nervously, as she tried to attempt to make everything perfect.

"Hermione, relax," she heard Draco's voice say soothingly, as he rubbed circles on her back, "It's going to be okay, I promise."

"And if it isn't?" she asked, panicking slightly. "It's not like you and the boys have the best track record. What if all of this blows up, and everyone leaves here unhappy? I want them to like you, Draco. I care about you a lot, and they're my family. I just want everyone to get along."

He turned her around, and cupped her face softly, "I care about you too. And Weasley and Potter are important to you. So I won't do anything which could jeopardize that for you. I can't say we'll end up being friends, but I'll put in the effort, okay? It's going to be fine, I promise."

She leaned in and her lips met his, as she began to relax into him.

She heard coughing from behind her, and as she broke apart from Draco, she saw Harry, Ron, and Ginny standing there. Ron looked a little irked, Harry a little embarrassed, and Ginny gave her a knowing smile.

"You're just in time for dinner!" Hermione said, turning red slightly. She ushered everyone to sit down, and Ginny handed her a cake she had baked for dinner.

"So Malfoy," Harry started, as Hermione placed a portion of potatoes on his plate. "What were you doing before you started working with Hermione?"

"Mostly breaking curses," he answered. "I travelled with your brother," he said, nodding to Ron and Ginny.

"I can't say I saw you going into curse breaking," Harry remarked. "I always thought you would work somewhere in the Ministry."

"It's not like I had a lot of job offers when I graduated," Draco said uncomfortably. "Besides, I enjoy my job."

"Whose fault is that?" Ron retorted. "Besides, why even work? Haven't you always said you had enough money so that you never needed to?"

"Ron!" Ginny hissed at her brother. "Don't be rude!"

Draco shook his head, "It's not unwarranted. I was an asshole to you guys at school. I apologise for that. I know it's not enough overcome what happened back then, but I hope you can forgive me. And to answer your other question, you're right, I probably don't need to work. But life becomes rather dull when you don't challenge yourself to be better."

"Hermione seems to believe you've changed," Harry said, looking at him closely. "And I trust her. So if she thinks you've been redeemed, I'm willing to give you a chance. However, if you do anything to prove you're still the same bigoted asshole as you were in school, I won't hesitate to curse you."

"Noted," Draco said with a nod of his head.

"So how does this whole Veela thing work?" Ginny asked, leaning in. "Do the two of you have to bond? Have you done it already? What was it like?"

"We haven't yet," Draco said, saving her from answering. "But when it does happen, it's supposed to be magical. I'm sure Hermione will tell you about it when it does happen."

"Why haven't you?" Harry asked, sounding curious, and a bit embarrassed.

"I needed time," she answered shortly. "There's been a lot going on in my life, and while I have every intention of going through with it, I needed time to come to terms with it. And to deal with all the other things going on."

Draco squeezed her hand, "We have time," he assured her with a smile. "We can wait as long as we need to."

She smiled back at him, and she knew her friends were watching her closely, coming up with their own assessments of the situation. She had no doubts they would tell her about them later, but for now she was choosing not to worry about any of it.

"So Malfoy, assuming we all live through this curse, who do you think is going to win the next Quidditch cup?" Harry asked, changing the tone of the conversation.

And with that, Hermione relaxed as her friends and Draco began to chat, and dare she say, bond.

* * *

Draco took a deep breath as he clutched the letter tightly in his hands. He was reluctant to even be here in the first place, but the letters wouldn't stop, and he knew that if he didn't set his father straight, they never would.

And so he found himself at Azkaban, unready to visit his father for the first time in months.

Because he really did have no reason to visit him; Lucius had done nothing but harm their family for the sake of a madman, and that wasn't anything Draco was willing to forgive easily. Not when it had put them all in jeopardy.

He sat down at the table, as he saw his father being brought in. Lucius' hair was filled with dirt, and he had bags under his eyes deep enough to fil a galleon. He looked extremely thin, and for a moment, Draco almost felt sorry for the man.

"I'm glad you came to see me," Lucius said, sounding like the patriarch he once was.

"It wasn't as if I had a choice," Draco retorted. "You threatened to send letters to Hermione had I chosen not to come. And let me tell you, I came just to make sure that doesn't happen. You will stay far away from her. If I as much as find out as you sent her a single letter, I'll get your mail privileges revoked."

"It won't matter anyway," Lucius shrugged, looking unfazed. "Because she won't be in your life for much longer."

He felt his blood chill at that, "What do you mean?"

"You can't honestly believe that I would allow you to bond with her?" Lucius asked, looking incredulous. "She may not be a mudblood, however she's far from pure. Her father is a werewolf, and her mother got knocked up out of wedlock. Imagine the scandal that would come from the two of you being together. The Malfoy name would be ruined."

"How dare you speak of ruining the Malfoy name," Draco said in a dangerously low voice. "I've worked for months, trying to regain even shreds of dignity and respect. You destroyed the Malfoy name when you sided with Voldemort, and sacrificed your family to do so. I've been working so hard to prove I wasn't my father's son, and that I can be capable of good. Hermione isn't what would destroy our legacy. How could she be when our legacy is already dead?"

"And how could you speak of choosing not to bond?" he asked again. "You're a Veela yourself. You know what it's like to be away from Mother just from being here for a year. How could you think that I would be able to survive being away from her easily? Just because Malfoys have done it in the past to keep the line pure doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. I refuse to be unhappy because you think you can still control my life. Because I would love to see you try from in here; with no money or power. You forget, Father, that I control all the Malfoy holdings and shares. Just because I chose not to utilize them like you did, doesn't mean I can't."

Lucius looked unfazed at that and simply gave him a look. "Draco, you aren't strong enough to be the tycoon you would need to be to stop me. Besides, it isn't as if it's going to matter. I've heard the whispers. I know the old curse has returned to wipe out the wizarding population. The worthy will survive. And your precious _Granger_? She won't make it past the next wave. I don't need to separate you from her; fate will take care of that for me."

He felt his blood chill at the mention of the curse from his father

"What do you know about the curse?" Draco demanded. "Do you know how to break it? Father, I demand you tell me everything you know."

"Time's up," A guard said, coming into the room. Lucius gave him a smirk as he stood and walked out of the room, leaving Draco alone, confused, with his thoughts.

Apparently the secret curse wasn't as much of a secret as he thought it was.

What did his father know? And did it mean that other older families could possibly know something about how to break the curse?


	26. Together

**Chapter 26**

 ** _June 1979_**

 _She supposed she really should have seen it happening._

 _They were fighting a war after all._

 _So she wasn't really sure why she had been so optimistic in her hope that they would all make it out alive. It was unrealistic when they fought battle after battle, against Death Eaters. It wasn't like the other side was playing as fair as they were._

 _She knew both sides were partaking in raids, and that not everyone made it out unscathed. But at the same time, somehow it was different, as callous as it sounded, when the loss wasn't someone close to them._

 _It still hurt, and it still kept her up at night, thinking of all those who had died fighting on either side._

 _But losing Mary was different. They had gone to school with her, lived with her, known about her life, and loved her deeply._

 _And now she was gone, killed in a raid, because the traitor in their midst had informed Voldemort just where she and her family were staying. Because the traitor wanted to please their "Lord" and wanted to hurt them, both in numbers, and emotionally._

 _"I don't know what to do," Marlene said, in a broken voice. "I never thought it would come to this. I guess I hoped the war would somehow blow over, and that the most we would suffer were a few broken bones and bruises. We weren't supposed to lose our friends or our families."_

 _"I know," Alice said, comforting, "She was our friend, and now, all of a sudden she's gone. It's not supposed to be easy. None of this is fair or right. Mary didn't deserve that. She deserved to have lived a long life. We were all supposed to grow old together."_

 _"Losing her means we're all vulnerable," Lily said softly. "We all prayed that we would be fine, but it shows that all of our lives are fleeting. And who knows how long this war will last? What if our children grow up in a world of war and pain? I don't want that for my children. I want all of ours to grow up and be safe from the horrors we've witnessed."_

 _Marlene burst into tears at that, rubbing her stomach. Her baby was due in less than four months, and at the rate the war was going, there was no way it would be over before then. Her child was going to grow up in the middle of all the pain and deaths._

 _"Don't cry," Lily said, soothingly, as she seemed to realize her friend's train of thought. "It's going to be fine, Marlene, I promise. We'll help you every step of the way, and when Alice and I have children, they can all grow up, playing together. We'll protect them from all of this; they won't know pain and loss like we did. They'll be safe and sheltered."_

 _She leaned into her friends, worriedly. She didn't want her daughter or son to grow up in the middle of all of this. But for them not to, it meant leaving the world she had grown up in, and loved dearly. But if moving to the muggle world meant protecting her child, she gladly would do so._

* * *

"I was thinking," Hermione said as she looked around the room.

"Oh?" Draco said teasingly, "What about."

The four of them had gathered back in their room, despite Bill's condition. She had been nervous, when he insisted on coming back to work, but he had told her that it was either he sit in the hospital dying, or he stay here, and at least tried to be productive in trying to break the curse that was killing him. She had wanted to argue, but couldn't find an argument that she knew she herself wouldn't refute if she were in the same situation.

She rolled her eyes at him, but smiled as he squeezed her hand, "The curse. What if one of the things we did wrong was cast it here? I remember Professor Bathsheda said that the original casting location often held power and residual magic. So what if the next time we attempt to break it, we try it there? It could help us."

Bill nodded, "That would make sense. Locations are often very important for curses, as it often serves as a beacon for the curse. So if we break it there, it also would be able to draw from the old magic left behind."

"Probably," Hermione said, "I felt the magic strongly there last time we went, more so than I usually do at magical locations. Which means that the magic there is extremely potent and volatile, so we could manipulate that."

"You felt magic there?" Draco asked, as he exchanged a look with Bill.

"Yes?" she asked, slightly confused at the question.

"I didn't," Bill stated. "Like I could sense faint residues of magic, which can be expected of a site that is a few thousand years old. But nothing strong."

"I didn't either," Draco confirmed Bill's statement. "Whatever you felt Hermione, must have been unique to you."

She frowned at that, as she recalled her memory of their visit. She remembered precisely feeling the magic flowing through her, and being amazed at the sensation. She remembered feeling the magic when they first passed onto the site, and when she opened the book. So why didn't the others feel it?

"I don't agree," Theo interjected. "You forget, that the site isn't some dormant source of magic. It's still projecting the curse, and has been for hundreds of years. By going there and trying to counteract the curse, we could accidently cause some sort of catastrophes if the magic we use isn't strong enough to beat the original curse. Hell, we should try casting it as far away as possible, or at least as far away as the curse strikes."

She gave Theo a puzzled look, "That's precisely why we need to try breaking it there. The counter-curse, since it's using the original curse, would be most potent at that site. And the two would be able to contain themselves because it would be the polar opposite."

Theo looked like he was about to retort, as Bill said, "We still need to make sure we're correct in all the other factors," Bill cut in, stopping the argument of who was right and who was wrong, "So we can revisit this at that point. However, I do agree that it should be cast at the site. But if you think it could be problematic, we can go over the different scenarios."

Theo looked unhappy at that, but didn't say anything, as he retreated back. Hermione studied him, a little curious about what he was thinking about intently, but as the conversation shifted to the other factors of where they went wrong, she felt herself thinking about it less.

* * *

Since meeting with Narcissa, Hermione had been struck with the idea of wanting to reunite her with her cousin and sister. But on top of that, it didn't help that her own father hadn't even met Draco officially.

Sirius had been a little on the fence as to being reunited with his cousin, after all, she hadn't talked to either of them after they had been cut out of the Black family. But Andromeda had convinced him that they had lost enough to the war, and they should at least give her a chance.

So here she found herself, at Grimmauld place, having tea with her boyfriend, father, Sirius, Narcissa, and Andromeda.

"I'm sorry," Nacissa said, as she settled onto her seat. Her sister looked up at her at that and Narcissa continued, "I should have reached out after Mother and Aunt Walburga disowned you. Or when they passed. Or even when the war ended, either time."

"But you wanted to be the good pureblood girl you were," Sirius said, a little snarky. "Why now."

"Because I've wasted too much time, and lost so much," Narcissa said, looking down. "I chose my family over the two of you, and the irony is that I lost them too. My husband is in Azkaban, and the family I sided with before is long gone. All I have now is my son, and Hermione, hopefully. And I could stick by my choice, but for what? To be alone over ideals I don't believe in anymore?"

"You don't?" Remus asked, looking at his daughter, a little worried.

"I don't," she said firmly. "I believe in family, and when that Man tried to have mine killed, I stopped supporting him, or the values he preached. It's brought me nothing but pain over the years. It doesn't matter to me that your daughter is a half blood. I couldn't care less if she were still a muggleborn. My son cares for her, and that's all that matters to me."

"Even if Lucius disapproves?" Andromeda asked her curiously. "I doubt your husband would be too pleased over being reunited with us."

"A part of me will always love Lucius," Narcissa said with a sigh, "He's my mate after all. I can't not love him. But the person he's become is far different than the man I loved. I refuse to live my life according to the rules of others, and not by my own wishes. I've wasted too much time for that. However, I know I was horrid to the two of you, so I can understand if you want nothing to do with me after all of this time. I just wanted you to know that I was sorry."

"Of course we forgive you," Andromeda said, as she stood to warp her arms around her sister. Narcissa looked slightly tense at that, but relaxed into her older sister's arms. "You were trying to do right by our family. I can't fault you for that. And all that matters is that you're here now."

Narcissa smiled at that, and looked at her cousin curiously.

"Well I suppose I can," Sirius said with a smile.

Hermione watched as the woman smiled at her cousin too.

"Well one thing is for sure," Sirius said, looking around the room. "Our family tree just got more complicated."

Draco took her hand in his and she smiled, as the attention of the room turned onto her.

Remus looked at the two of them, as he frowned, "Draco, I haven't gotten the chance to get to know you quite yet, despite the fact that you've come over to Grimmauld place while we were all out."

Her boyfriend looked a little sheepish at that, and Sirius shot him a smile.

"I'm sorry for that," Draco said honestly, "It wasn't my intention to come around while you were out."

"What are your intentions?" Remus asked, with a tilt of his head.

"I care for Hermione deeply," Draco said, firmly. "I intend to be there for her every day that she'll allow me to be. She's everything to me, and I would never do anything to hurt her."

"Good," her father said, smiling at him. "Then that's all I have to say about that."

"Really?" Draco asked in disbelief, and Hermione could tell that he was expecting her father to prod and push a lot more than he had.

"Really," Remus confirmed. "I've already seen that you care about her. Besides, I trust my daughter's judgement. She cares about you, and wants to be with you, so that's more than enough for me. I'm not going to make your life miserable for the sake of it."

"Thank you," Draco said, relieved.

There was a silence for a bit, when Andromeda said, "Does Lucius approve?" as she looked at her sister and nephew.

Narcissa looked down, as Draco answered, "No. He made it very clear when I went to see him that he thought I was making a mistake."

"You went to see him?" Hermione asked, in surprise as she looked at Draco. "You never told me."

"I didn't want to upset you," he said, honestly. "He wasn't exactly pleasant about it. I only went to see him because he wouldn't stop sending me letters. But it was more that he changed his tactic, saying he was going to send letters to you and Mother if I didn't, and I wanted to tell him that I wanted nothing to do with him."

"You didn't have to do that," Narcissa told her son. "Draco, I can handle a few letters from your father."

He shrugged, "You shouldn't have to because he's unhappy with me. It wasn't the greatest trip anyways. He pretty much told me that he didn't approve that I was with Hermione, and…" Draco's voice trailed off at that, looking uncomfortable, as he seemed to catch himself.

"And?" Hermione asked, with a raised brow.

He looked hesitant, but she held her gaze.

Draco sighed, "That it didn't matter anyways, because the old curse would strike, meaning we would be separated by that."

She was confused for a moment, before she seemed to understand where he was going with his statement.

"Oh," she said quietly.

"That bastard," Sirius said, angrily.

"I can't believe him," Narcissa said, fuming. "I had hoped he would regain his senses in there, and realize how important family is. But that doesn't seem to be the case."

"Wait, you all know about the curse?" Hermione asked, realization dawning upon her.

"It was told to us growing up," Andromeda explained to her. "We were told of an old curse, cast centuries ago by Morgana, meant to weed out the unworthy. It became a tale for pureblood families to use, to give _hope_ that despite the fact that there were _unworthy_ living amongst us, the curse was implemented to wipe them out."

"Which is all false, of course," Sirius said with a scoff.

"The curse isn't," Hermione said softly. "Well the intentions behind it are, but there is a curse. Which is why I was surprised Lucius seemed to have known about it."

"That's what the papers are talking about?" Andromeda asked in surprise.

"It is," she nodded, and Remus gave her a reassuring look. "The curse is striking again. Except it doesn't have anything in to wipe out those who are unworthy. It has specific targets, but that's more about who is in power."

"Do you know who Mordred's heir is?" Sirius asked, interestedly.

"What?" Draco asked, confused.

"Mordred's heir," Narcissa said, "The heir is rumoured to carry out the curse. They're the ones who, according to the tale, are meant to maintain it, and make sure that that the curse continues until the time of which Morgana's heir deems worthy to break the curse. And when her heir does, they will bring the world into a new age of power and enlightenment."

Hermione exchanged a look with Draco, "We didn't even know Mordred had an heir," she said worriedly, as she bit her lip.

"This changes things," Draco said, looking back at her, "Because that means we're not just battling a curse that is a few thousand years old. We're also facing a real person, who wants to stop us."

"And we have no idea who," Hermione sighed.

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me you went to see your father?" Hermione asked, later that night. She had gone over to his place, to talk, after everything. Despite their gained knowledge of the curse, she was rather pleased with how the afternoon had gone.

"I didn't want his words to hurt you," Draco told her softly, as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "He can't change my feelings for you, or make me love you any less."

"You love me?" she asked, looking up at him in surprise.

He chuckled at that, as he kissed her forehead, "Deeply. Hermione, I'm so in love with you that it hurts. I probably should have told you sooner. But I love you so much, and nothing he says will change that."

"I love you too," she said, exhaling. "I just was afraid to tell you."

"Why?" he asked, curiously.

"It's stupid," she admitted. "I guess I was just worried you wouldn't feel that way just yet. Or that I was rushing things. Because it hasn't even been that long, and I already want to spend my life with you."

"Oh?" he raised an eyebrow.

"We haven't discussed bonding yet," she told him, explaining. "Other than when we first started dating. It hasn't come up again."

"I didn't want to rush you," he told her, honestly. "There really isn't a hurry to do so."

"But it hurts you that we haven't," she stated. "I know you were in pain before we got together, Draco. We haven't bonded yet, so it couldn't have gone away."

"It's gotten better," he admitted to her. "Far better, trust me. Just knowing that you care about me too has lessened the pain. Besides, I never wanted you to have to do it out of obligation.

She ran her hands along his chest. "What if it isn't out of obligation?" she asked, as her breathing staggered. "What if I want to bond with you? What if I want to have you?"

His eyes darkened at that, filled with lust, as she could see the veela genes sensing her desire.

"There would be no going back from this," Draco said, breathing hard. "Once we do this, we're together, bonded for life. We would be together in every sense, shy of a marriage ritual."

She responded by leaning in as she pressed her lips against his, kissing him fervently, as he groaned, and held her tightly as he returned her kiss.

"I want this, Draco," she verbalized, as his hands roamed her body.

She could care less that there was no going back from what they were about to do, not when she needed him so badly. He picked her up, carefully, and her legs wrapped around his waist as he carried her towards his bedroom.


	27. Light

**Chapter 27**

 ** _August 1979_**

 _She was close to her due date, and Marlene felt like her swollen stomach was about to burst at any given second. Sure, she was only eight months into her pregnancy, but as she sat there, stroking her stomach, she wondered when her child would join her in the world._

 _It had been a very long couple of months. Her mother and father had been displeased by the fact that she had gotten pregnant, and that the father of her child was seemingly MIA. She supposed it would have been easier if Remus were here, to assure her parents that he loved her very much, and was eventually planning on marrying her._

 _But all of that felt like a very distant memory. Any hopes she had of Remus coming back and being here with her through all of this was long gone. No one, other than Dumbledore seemed to have heard from him for months, and she felt like her heart was broken. How was it possible that he could be gone for so long without even as much as a word? Didn't he want her to know that he was alright? Didn't he want to know how she was doing?_

 _What if he never even knew he was a father? What if he just never came back from doing Merlin knows what?_

 _And then there was the worry that her child could grow up with lycanthropy. She loved Remus more than anything, and while she would love her child regardless, it didn't stop her from hoping that her child would be lucky enough not to be affected by the gene._

 _She sat on the porch outside of their new home as she rubbed her belly gently. With the war still ongoing, she and her parents had decided to relocate. It was a rather well known fact that her parents were not supporters of Voldemort, and after James' parents were attacked and killed in the Manor, she was terrified that her own parents could be next._

 _It had nearly killed James when he found out that his parents had been killed in their own home, and if it weren't for Lily and his friends, she wasn't sure what he would have done. She had gone to the friend whom she considered to be a brother and held him tightly as he cried into her arms, and she couldn't help but sob herself. The Potters had been like second parents to her, and their loss was hard on them all. Lily had been devastated herself, with her own parents long gone, and being left only with a sister who despised her._

 _And with her father nearly being attacked in Diagon Alley, narrowly escaping, she refused to lose him too._

 _So they had packed up and headed to a nice muggle neighbourhood, placing protection spell over protection spell over their house._

 _The neighbours were welcoming, and that was a small comfort. The Grangers who lived next door, were a newly married couple, and she had often found herself in their company as they told her stories of their life, and she mugglified stories of her own. She could see the love in their every action as they interacted with the other, and she couldn't help but long for Remus to have been by her side. And when the Grangers asked about him, she told them he was off fighting in the war; but she never specified which._

 _"Marlene?" her father asked, as he came to join her outside. "How are you doing?"_

 _She could tell her parents had grown worried as her due date approached fast._

 _"I'm good," she said softly, as he sat beside her, "Just thinking about the baby."_

 _"She'll be okay," her father promised her, "If your daughter is anything like her mother or grandmother, then she'll be a fighter. She'll be as strong as she is brave. She does have the genes of some powerful witches in her blood, tracing back generations. You know what I always say."_

 _She rolled her eyes, but kept a smile on her face, "I do, and I still don't believe that you think we're her descendants, but I'll keep that in mind."_

 _Her father laughed, but sombered up as he said, "You know, your mother and I love you, right? I know the circumstances haven't been all that ideal, but we love you so much, Marlene. We're so proud of you. And we'll be by your side every step of the way, as the baby grows up, for both of you. And we'll spoil your daughter rotten."_

 _She laughed, as her eyes teared up, "I know," she said, shakily, "And I love you both too. My little Hermione is going to be so lucky to have the two of you in her life. I just want her to have a good life, and to be happy."_

 _"She will be," her father promised._

* * *

Hermione awoke lazily, as she felt fingertips running patterns over her shoulder blade. She looked up to see Draco smiling down at her, as his body was pressed against her own, and the memories of the past night swarmed her mind. Every touch, every kiss, knowing now that she was his.

"Good morning, Love," Draco greeted her softly, as he pushed the hair out of her face.

"Good morning," she said with a grin as she tilted her head upwards.

She looked up at him with utter amazement, as she felt nothing but love for the man beside her. It wasn't all that surprising really, that she felt this way. She had just given a part of herself to him, and had just participated in bonding their lives, their souls, and their hearts together. She was very much a part of him as he was of her.

And she loved him so much, that she couldn't even verbalize it.

A part of her wanted to credit the strength of the feelings to the veela bond, but she had come in time to be able to recognize the difference between the veela invoked emotions, such as the strength of jealousy when she watched other women flirting with him, or the pain she felt when he as much as stubbed a toe.

No, everything she was feeling for him at the moment was true to her, and herself alone. And as his hand stroked her hip softly, she felt herself shudder at the touch, as she wanted nothing more than to be able to cuddle into him and spend the morning in his arms, enjoying his company as she pretended the problems she had in her life didn't exist.

"How do you feel?" he asked her curiously as she cuddled into him. She could sense the compassion in his voice as he asked her, making sure that it hadn't all been far too much for her to handle. She reached up and cupped his face to reassure him.

"Good," she smiled, "Alive? I don't know how to describe it, Draco, but I feel so euphoric. Like I was missing something until last night, and I've finally found it."

"I feel that way too," he murmured, his face softening, as his head dropped to place kisses on her neck and she had groaned. "I love you, Hermione, and I don't plan on ever letting you go without a fight. Last night showed just how much I need you, and I don't think I could stand to have to live without you."

She let out a staggered breath, as his lips moved downwards, "Draco, we need to get up," she said, slightly regretfully, "We have work. As much as I'm enjoying this, and want nothing more than to just stay like this all day in your arms, we can't. Bill and Theo will be wondering where we are."

He made a sound that made it seem as if he hadn't quite heard her, so she sighed and gave in, as he rolled on top of her and began to kiss her once more.

And as his body moved against hers, she felt all thoughts slip out of her mind of obligations and work.

* * *

 _Morgana didn't understand it. Any of it really. She didn't understand how it came to this, with her on one side of the battlefield, and Merlin and Arthur on the other. She didn't understand how she had become their enemy, when really she was the one who would save them all from the real monster. How did none of them see that? Why didn't they understand that she was really only trying to help?_

 _She just wanted to do what was best for them all, and that would be to save them from her brother. Why should he be the one to rule when he slaughters them all, in the hundreds? All because of fear for something he doesn't understand?_

 _She placed her hand over her stomach, cradling her pregnant belly as she stood over the cauldron. She was doing this so her child could grow up in a world of safety and security. There was no way she wanted her baby to grow up fearing for their life, and their every step._

 _As the child of her and a powerful wizard, she knew better than to question whether her child could have magic. She wanted a better world for her child. For all of their children. What kind of mother did it make her if she didn't try to ensure that her child wouldn't grow up being hunted?_

 _If only the father knew. Then he would be fighting right along their side, instead of being absent from her life. But how could she tell him now, without him suspecting it was a trap, rather than the result of their love?_

 _And it broke her heart, as she realized it._

 _She had worked so long to perfect the curse, pouring her emotions and her power into it, and using potent ingredients she knew would impact the spell, making it even stronger. She needed this to work so that the others could see that she was the one trying to save them, and that Arthur would be their downfall._

 _Yet it hadn't exactly worked out as she had hoped._

 _Somehow, instead of being the martyr, she had become the villain. The people of Camelot had flocked to Arthur for help, and he, much to her surprise, had decided to find a magical solution._

 _For the first time, he hadn't chosen just to use swords and weapons, yet had realized that it was his own actions that had caused this to happen._

 _And in doing so, had reunited magic and muggles alike, as they came together, trying to defeat her._

 _She was supposed to be their saviour, not him._

 _And what was worse, was that Merlin had exposed himself as the powerful wizard he was, fighting alongside her brother._

 _He had abandoned her for that monster, and once again she found herself alone._

 _It wasn't supposed to be like this. She only wanted to help everyone; how did it come to this?_

 _If it weren't for her advisor, Mordred, then Morgana had no idea what she would do. For in that case, she would be truly alone._

 _And that wasn't something Morgana wanted to have to endure; not again. But it didn't matter; she had her child, and she fully intended to ensure that her child grew up loved and safe. She would not let Arthur win, not like this. No, this was really a minor setback. She would win back the love of **her** kingdom, and she would show them that they deserved more than a ruler who used magic when he though was convenient and spurned it otherwise. The people deserved far better than that._

 _No, she would win Camelot, her people, and Merlin, back, if it was the last thing that she did._

* * *

He knew who it was; how could he not know who the heir of Morgana was? But it wasn't as if Theo could go around advertising it just yet. He needed to know where they stood, and if he could count on them to be an ally.

But the chances were that the heir didn't even know that they were the heir. So if he got to them soon, he could manipulate how they thought of things, to make sure that they were secretly on their side when the time came, and that they would help Theo in terms of breaking the curse on his terms, when it meant that the world would be his. He could manipulate how they thought of things, to make sure they thought they were really ending a centuries old **evil** curse, when in fact, they were waiting until the moment was opportune and that the wizarding world would embrace them as their saviours.

And once that was done, he wouldn't exactly have a use for them anymore, and he could discard them like yesterday's trash.

Except the problem was that the group was far too close to breaking the spell. They had already corrected most of the translations that he had purposefully gotten wrong, and realized they needed to be at the site.

And if they got too close before he was ready, it could serve to be a problem.

It wasn't really a coincidence that he ended up on this team. One would think the Minister of Magic would be strong enough to throw off an Imperius curse, however just a few words ensured his place on the team, making sure he could monitor their progress, every step of the way, and throw in a few obstacles.

With the curse slowly killing Bill, he knew the man was distracted, leaving just Draco and Granger. And with the two of them looking as if they were ready to jump each other's bones at any given moment, he wasn't all that worried.

As he arrived at their office, he wasn't all that surprised that Hermione and Draco weren't here yet.

"Theo," Bill greeted him in surprise, "I wasn't expecting to see you here just yet."

Theo shrugged, "Thought I would get in early and see if I can find out anything else on this curse."

"Actually I want to talk to you about something; before Draco and Hermione got here," Bill said, looking a little hesitant, "I want to bounce a theory off on you."

"Oh?" Theo asked, raising a brow.

"What if Morgana's heir is far closer than we thought?" Bill asked him, "What if it isn't just some random wizard or witch, but she's been near us the entire time?"

"You think Hermione is Morgana's heir?" Theo asked, flatly, as he schooled his emotions.

"It's not entirely unrealistic, is it?" Bill asked, "Think about all of it, Theo. She was seeing ravens all over Morgan's castle, and ravens are symbolic of Morgana. She was rumoured to have used them during her time, and there are also myths saying she herself could transform into a raven. Then there's her ability to sense the magic at Morgana's castle strongly, when the rest of us could barely detect a trace. Which could be attributed to the fact that Hermione herself is a rather strong witch. But if you combine that with the fact that she was the first to be able to enter the castle. It was her touch that made it materialize for the rest of us. She could remove the book that Draco couldn't from the shelves. It was her blood that was used to get the diary to reveal its contents. It could all be coincidental, but what if it is her?"

"And what if it's not?" Theo asked, cocking her head, "Would you really want to subject her to your fate because you think there's a fraction of a chance that she could be the heir to one of the most powerful witches in history? Would you really want her death and who knows how many others, to be on your head, because you had a hunch? Because the way I see it, you don't exactly have any solid proof, but several coincidences. What if the book was just stuck, and Hermione helped get it out. Who's to say that using _Hermione's_ blood, over any of the rest of ours, was the reason we found the spell? There are ravens everywhere, it doesn't mean that Hermione is the heir because she saw one at Morgana's castle, where the bird could have been gathered for Morgana over Hermione. Nothing you have actually proves that Hermione is the heir. You're simply projecting because you need to find an heir to save yourself, so you desperately want it to be Hermione because she's convenient, and she's close. Whereas there's nothing guaranteeing that an heir even exists. Or that they live in England. What if the family had long since emigrated out of the UK? Then what?"

Bill looked a little heartbroken at that, but shook his head, "There's a slim chance that it could be her. It's not enough for us to just go jumping into an another attempt to try and break the curse, but at least we can run spells to try and trace back her family tree using her blood. It's worth a shot. And if it reveals that she's the heir then we're one step closer. And if not, then maybe it will give us a hint of how to proceed from here on out. But we need to at least try."

Theo took out his want and pointed it at the man.

"What are you doing?" Bill asked warily.

"I can't let you try," Theo said with a shake of his head, "I already know what the results of the spell would give you, and I can't let you get there just yet. The pieces have not properly aligned themselves on the board just yet, and it's far too soon for you to break the curse. I can't allow you to succeed when I'm so close to getting everything I've ever wanted."

"You're Mordred's heir," Bill said, paling at the realization, "And you knew Hermione was Morgana's heir all along."

Theo laughed, "Too bad it took you all so long to realize. If you had come to this conclusion far sooner, then you could have broken the curse before I even joined your team. But I can't have you go around telling the others when I haven't even gotten to convince Hermione that the curse should only be broken when the time is right."

"You're insane," Bill whispered. "Do you think killing me will stop them from succeeding? It'll only tip them off."

"Which is exactly why I hadn't planned on killing you," Theo rolled his eyes. "You just need to forget what you just told me. But don't worry, I'll be sure to kill you after all of this is over. I never like a Weasel anyways."

Bill looked at the man, and Theo knew he was contemplating charging him, as his wand was too far out of his reach.

Theo's mouth twisted into a sinister smile as he said, " _Oblivate._ " As he pushed his wand into his robes, he left the room, planning on re-entering in a few hours. And no one would be the wiser of what had just occurred.


	28. Birth

**Chapter 28**

 ** _September 1979_**

 _It happened on a Wednesday._

 _It had been an ordinary day; as all of the days over the last few months had been. She had woken up that morning, and joined her parents for breakfast._

 _It had become something of a routine over the last two months of her pregnancy. She wasn't able to contribute to the fighting anymore, and aside from healing the odd injury or so, she found herself with not a lot to do, other than preparing for her baby's birth. It had taken a while in itself to pick out a name, finally setting on Hermione, after having spent hours reading up on Shakespeare plays which her neighbour, Jean, had recommended to her. And thankfully, having magic made prepping a lot easier._

 _Her parents had been monumental when it came to helping her out. Her mother had bought more toys and outfits than Marlene could have ever imagined. Honestly, she wasn't even sure Hermione would be able to go through all of them before she grew far too big. And her father had helped her get the furniture in the room ready. He had created a mobile that was enchanted for Hermione to stare at every night before she fell asleep, filled with magical creatures._

 _Fortunately for her, her friends had been extremely supportive. Or at least those she had told, had._

 _She knew it wasn't exactly safe for everyone to know she was with child, and aside from James and Lily, Peter, and Alice, not a lot of others knew. Marlene knew she probably should have told Sirius, but she knew he would pity her if he found out. With his insistence that Remus was the traitor, how could he be supportive of the fact that she was pregnant with his baby?_

 _She loved her friends dearly, but it didn't change the fact that they weren't Remus_

 _Not that she had even had contact with Remus since he left when it happened._

 _Despite the fact that she would have given anything to know about him, and had begged Dumbledore to tell her more than "He's safe"._

 _From what she hoped, he was doing okay. She hadn't heard anything of his death, or even as much as a siting. And no news was good news right?_

 _She supposed there was some problems magic couldn't solve._

 _Even if she wished she was enough for Remus to remember to write to._

 _She supposed it was the price she had to pay in all of this. Wars took their tolls on people. James lost his parents, Mary lost her life, and she lost Remus. No one made it out of it unscathed._

 _The world was hurting, and every day she could see it breaking, piece by piece._

 _It was a Wednesday morning when her water broke._

 _Marlene had been in labour for exactly seven hours before Hermione Jean Lupin had joined them in the world. And when Marlene looked down at the tiny baby in her arms, she wanted nothing more than to protect her daughter from the horrors of the world. She wanted to shield her child from the war, from the pain, and from the loss. She wanted nothing more than for her daughter to grow up with a mother and father, telling her how much she was loved every day. And she wanted her daughter to know that she loved her._

 _She wanted her daughter to grow up unaware of prejudice and hatred._

 _She wanted her daughter to not have to fight as she had to._

 _"I won't let anything happen to you, Hermione," Marlene whispered to her sleeping child. She had given birth in a muggle hospital, unwilling to risk anyone else finding about her child. And she lay in the bed there now, as her daughter lay in her arms. "I love you so much. And I promise you, your father will love you more than anything when he meets you, my precious girl. He'll love you, and care for you, and be there or you every step of the way."_

 _"I'll protect you from all of this, I promise you," Marlene told the baby. "You'll grow up to be powerful too, just like those before you. Your grandfather likes to joke that we come from a powerful line of wizards and witches, and that they would be so proud of how strong we stood today. And like those witches and wizards, you'll be strong and brave too. You'll have the world at your fingertips, and I won't let a single thing harm you."_

 _Hermione blinked awake and Marlene soothed her child, until the small girl fell back asleep once more._

* * *

"I need to tell you something," Hermione said nervously as she joined her father at the table. It had been a long day of her constantly thinking of the night before, and she knew as awkward as it was, she probably should tell her father of what happened. Well not all the details, but the gist of what it meant.

"Do I want to know?" Remus asked her with a raised brow.

"I don't know," she admitted as she looked up at him. "I bonded with Draco last night."

"Oh?" Remus asked, and she blushed slightly.

"Yes," Hermione said softly. "I love him, and it felt like the timing was right. And I wanted you to know, seeing how important it is."

"I'm not sure what you want me to say," Remus sighed. "Or if I should play the angry father card right now. Because I feel like that's what one is supposed to do in this situation. And that most fathers would get irrationally angry, and yell."

"But not you?" Hermione raised an eyebrow in response. She wondered if it was because she wasn't exactly a small child, or because Remus hadn't exactly raised her either, and didn't feel the emotional connection enough to get angry as he claimed he should. And it hurt slightly, because despite it only being a few months, she loved the man. He was the closest family she had left, and if he didn't even consider her family enough to care about the fact that she had taken the biggest step of her romantic life last night, what did that mean for them?

"Not because I don't love you," He told her, firmly, cutting off her train of thought. "Hermione, I love you so much, and it has nothing to do with the fact that I've only known about you for a few months. For I love you as if I raised you from birth. It has everything to do with the fact that I understand your bond with Draco. I understand that you're his mate, and I've been there for every step of your relationship. I've known that you love him for longer than you have. How can I get angry at you for following your heart? He makes you happy, and that's more than enough for me."

She felt her eyes water slightly, and Remus moved closer so he could wrap his arms around her and draw her close into him.

"I love you, Hermione. You're my only daughter, and I want nothing more for you to find happiness. And Draco is a good guy. I know you love him, so don't think for a second that my lack of anger has anything to do with my love for you. If he hurts you, then that's another story. Because you can be rest assured that I would not hesitate to show my anger at him then," Remus hugged her into his chest. "I'm so proud of you, Hermione. You're on the verge of your adult life, and you've already accomplished so much. And your mother would have been so proud too; you remind me so much of her every day, through your strength, your kindness, and your brilliance."

"I wish I could have met her," Hermione said softly, "I've seen her memories, but it's not the same as having her around growing up. She only got to be a mother to me for a year or so, but in that time, she seemed to have figured out how to do it. I don't know if I ever will, if I have children."

"You will," Remus reassured her. "Her and Lily both would have made great mothers. But merlin knows that James and I, and even Sirius, would have gotten in quite a bit of trouble for something or the other. Marlene would have probably taught you quite a bit of mischief. She grew up with James after all. It drove her mother crazy how unladylike she could be at times. But despite all of it, your mother was always so beautiful. She probably could have had her pick of men when it came down to it."

"But she loved you," Hermione told him.

"She loved me," Remus said with a smile. "I still remember the day she told me that she had feelings for me too. I was so mad at Sirius for trying to hit on her, to spite me, and I though she for sure would go for him. But she wanted me."

"You're a good father," she told him softly, "You've handled all of this far better than I have, and you've been nothing but supportive of me, even when I had no idea what I was doing. You could have kept be at arms-length as you have a new family now. But you took me in and you cared for me."

"As I always will," he promised. "Hermione, you're my daughter, my oldest child, and I don't intend on treating you as anything less."

She smiled, feeling relieved that their talk had gone so well, and that her father was supportive of her actions.

* * *

 _She was back at the castle, except it felt different. It wasn't filled with old magic. It all felt so new, and alive. As if there was power currently coursing through the walls all around her._

 _"Hermione," a tall dark haired woman said, as she appeared before her. "I've waited quite a while for you."_

 _"Who are you?" she breathed, unsure of what was happening, "Is this a dream."_

 _"I think you know the answer to both of those questions," Morgana told her, as she nodded at her. "We don't have much time, but we must talk."_

 _"About the curse," Hermione stated. "Why did you cast it? Why am I here?"_

 _"One at a time," Morgana told her with a soft smile. "I cast the curse because I thought it was the right thing to do. I wanted to save the wizarding world from my brother. I wanted to unite magic and muggles. I wanted to be able to use my powers to help people, instead of hiding them out of fear. But in the process, I became the monster."_

 _"Yet so many innocent people died for your curse," Hermione reminded her, "Maybe those who died during your era were not so pure, but what of those since then? It's been two millennia. Why didn't you break the curse since then? You should have broken it long ago when you realized that you did reunite magic with muggles, even if not the way you desired. Merlin loved you, and Arthur was your brother. They would have accepted you back into their lives. There was no need for you to continue. You could have stopped all of this."_

 _"I could have," she whispered, "But by then I was spiteful. I felt as if I had been wronged. I wanted to be the one who saved everyone. I wanted them to come to me; not turn on me and make the enemy. That was never how all of this was supposed to happen. Yet it did anyways. And history has written me as the villain, when I just wanted to help others."_

 _"Why didn't you break it then?" Hermione questioned._

 _"Because I died," she murmured. "I never intended for it to go on for years. But I died before I could stop it. And none of my heirs broke the curse, if they even knew of it. By time the curse struck again, it became a myth and those who were my heirs did not understand the significance of their blood. But you have a chance now to stop it. You have a chance to right the wrongs, and restore the balance in the world. To end the curse once and for all."_

 _"Me?" she questioned, unsure of what Morgana was saying to her._

 _"You have the chance now to undo what I've done. You and your friends," Morgana said, as the dream began to break apart, "Hermione, you are the key to all of this."_

 _She wanted to ask more questions, but before she could, the dream broke apart around her, and she felt herself emerged into darkness, a thousand questions swirling around in her head, and the answers lost to her._

* * *

She had gotten to work early the next day, to write down everything she could remember about the dream she had the prior night. She had no idea of knowing if it was even real or if it had been created by her subconscious. But either way, there could be valuable information that she hadn't realized, and she needed all the help she could get at this point.

Whether she bothered telling anyone else was another story. There wasn't exactly any solid proof to her dream, and claiming she had one where Morgana cryptically told her that the fate of the world lay on her shoulders wasn't exactly hope rising.

Especially when she didn't even know what her dream was trying to tell her. Did it mean what she thought it did, or could there be a double meaning to Morgana's words? Or was she just over thinking about all of this, and really it was just her thoughts on the curse slowly making its way into her subconscious.

"Hermione," she heard a voice say, and she jumped up as she saw Theo in front of her.

"I didn't hear you come in," she admitted, as her heart rate slowed down slowly.

He didn't acknowledge what he had said, as he looked down at the book in front of her, "What are yo working on?" he questioned, as he peered at her writing.

"Just some thoughts," she said in a vague way, as he joined her at the table. "Nothing really. More like random rambles. Nothing worth mentioning."

"Oh I very much doubt that," Theo said, and she felt herself shiver. "If you wrote it down, I have a feeling I must be of great importance. For I doubt Hermione Granger could have a theory which was less than accurate. Or is it Lupin, or even Malfoy, now? I find it hard to keep track, with the amount of changes in your life lately."

"It's nothing really," she insisted, as she ignored the second part of his exclamation. Where was Draco and Bill? She had never had a problem with Theo in the past, and she wanted to get along with Draco's friends. However she was finding it hard to do so when he was treating her as such. Something about his body language, of leaning in far too close, and his words, made her feel extremely uncomfortable.

"You know it isn't your destiny to break this curse without purpose right?" Theo asked her. "You must have figured it out by now, Hermione. You're a clever witch. Even Bill figured it out, not that he would remember any of it. You and I are meant to fight alongside each other as we break this curse to bring the world into a new age. We're supposed to save the world. So join me, and together we can do just that. We can be the salvation that the wizarding world so badly needs, and help restore it to the glory it once had."

"You're Mordred's heir," she whispered, as she stood up, trying to draw her wand.

"Looking for this?" he smiled as he held her wand in his fingers. "You really are quite distracted when you're into your work. It was almost too easy to disarm you. Now don't be like this, Hermione. Fight alongside me, like we're destined to do. Fight with me, and we can do what we're meant to."

"Why?" she asked, "You're Draco's friend! How could you do this to him? How could you betray him like this? He trusted you. We all trusted you. How could you think that you're the one meant to break this curse, and let the rest of the world suffer for your greed? You don't want to save the world. You want to rule it."

"And rule it I will," he told her sharply. "As is my birth right. And as is yours. However, I don't really need you to be complicit in helping me. One way or another you will, and if you don't see the benefits of doing it willingly, by my side, then I am not opposed to using less orthodox methods to get you to comply. How do you think I got the Minister to allow me onto this team?"

"You're mad," she said, as she tried to run towards the door, only to feel a sharp pain hit her leg. She fell to the ground, as she clutched the spot that had been hit. "I won't help you. Not willingly. And if you think Bill and Draco won't figure out that you killed me, you have another thing coming."

He laughed as he approached her, and said, "I have no plans on killing you. I need you around. It would hardly be effective to kill you now."

As he got closer, she stuck out her non-injured leg, causing the man to trip over and fall to the ground.

She tried to stand as she heard him curse at her, and began limping, hoping she could make it straight to the door.

She got close when she felt herself be hit in the back by a stunning spell. And as she began to fall, she felt a set of arms grab her, as she heard her name being yelled out in worry. The last thing she remembered was being pulled into a body, as the world went dark.


	29. Fallen

**Chapter 29**

 ** _December 1979_**

 _It had been almost a year since she had seen him last. A year since their night together, before he had told her that he had to leave. A year since he left her pregnant with a child, and alone to go through the pregnancy._

 _And their daughter was four months old, having never once met her father since she came into the world. And Hermione Jean was growing up so fast, she was afraid Remus would miss it._

 _She hadn't told anyone about the birth of her daughter, other than a few close friends, let alone the fact that she was pregnant. Dumbledore thought she simply needed some time to deal with the grief of losing Remus for whatever mission he was on, and for that she was grateful._

 _She knew telling Dumbledore could have helped bring Remus home, but despite that, she knew that he would come home empty handed. He had left her for a mission which he had deemed important enough to leave her for._

 _And how could she fault him for that? How could she fault him when he fought for so long to feel like he had a purpose, not just in this war, but all his life? Whatever he was doing, it was something he believed in and had fought hard for. How could she fault him for that?_

 _It had been a year since she had seen Remus, but in all that time, her love for him hadn't faded._

 _Which was how she found herself currently sitting in on an Order meeting._

 _It wasn't that she wanted to go out and fight, but she was tired of feeling useless. She couldn't just run from the wizarding world out of fear. It was her home, where she had grown up, and where her heart lay. She still believed that she had made the right decision when she and her family had moved to the muggle world, but she couldn't turn her back so easily on the world that needed her._

 _But despite everything, she wasn't reckless. Going on missions which could leave her daughter alone was hardly a way to solve any problems. Instead, she knew as well as anyone that she would have to go about things a less risky manner. She could use her skills to heal the injured and help Lily brew potions._

 _Her friends had been concerned about her presence at the meeting, knowing she was throwing herself back into the fray of things. No one mentioned Remus once during the meeting, nor spoke of a traitor amongst their midst, though seeing their reaction to her presence, it was clear that quite a few of them still believed in his guilt._

 _Simply because he wasn't here. She wasn't sure how it made sense. How could they believe he was the traitor when he hadn't come to a single meeting to pass along information? He hadn't come to anything for the last year, yet they believed so easily that he was capable of turning on his friends._

 _Marlene made a point not to look at Sirius during the entirety of the meeting, still furious with him and his accusations. Yet she sat here anyway, and made a point to disregard him and his opinions. And if he noticed, or even cared, he didn't say anything in response._

 _"How are you holding up?" Peter asked her softly as the meeting came to a close. She knew the others were slowly starting to pile out of the room._

 _"I'm managing," she said with a smile. She hadn't talked to the man in recent months, but Peter had always been kind to her. So who was she to brush off a friend?_

 _"He'll be back soon," Peter told her confidently. "Whatever it is Remus is doing, he'll be back soon and you'll get to see him again."_

 _"I know," Marlene said, thankful for his words of comfort, "How are you doing, Peter? With everything since the end of school?"_

 _"Things are going well," the rounded man smiled at her, "The shop is giving me regular hours, and I've been and hopefully I'll be promoted to manager within a few years."_

 _"That's great, Peter!" Marlene said with a bright smile on her face._

 _"Yeah," Peter smiled shyly. "Don't be a stranger, Marlene."_

 _And with that he walked away, leaving her alone. She hadn't given the man much thought in recent months, and a part of her felt guilty over it. He had always been nice to her, and yet she had forgotten about him, and chosen to worry over her own problems._

 _She would try harder, that much was sure. Even with everything going on in her life, she would try harder to be there for her friends, as they had been for her._

* * *

When Hermione came to, one of the first things she noticed was that she wasn't in her bed. She blinked awake, as she recognized the familiar walls of the hospital around her. After the war, she had spent many hours in the halls of the hospital, visiting those who had been hurt or injured, hoping to keep them company while they recovered.

"You're awake," she heard her father let out a breath of relief.

"Dad?" she asked curiously as she sat up in the bed, "What happened?"

She remembered the events just before she had lost her consciousness, what with Theo attacking her as he turned out to be the heir of Mordred.

"Theo knocked you out with an old spell," her father said flatly, "He wasn't trying to injure you too severely, which means he wanted you for something, and that he still wants you for something. If it weren't for Bill and Draco showing up when they did, Merlin knows what would have happened."

"What happened to Theo?" she asked, as she felt her heart drop slightly when she realized Draco wasn't in the room with her.

"The Aurors have taken him into custody for assault. Harry made sure to personally arrest him for what he did to you," Remus said, sounding furious.

"Good," she said, softly, and her father kissed her forehead.

"I'm glad you're okay, Hermione," he told her softly. "I was worried, when you weren't waking up. We all were."

"We?" she asked, wondering just who else had come to visit her while she had been unconscious.

"Draco was here too," Her father said, sounding surprised he had to tell her, "He was a mess, Hermione, so I sent him to the cafeteria to get us some tea. He should be back soon though. He'll be happy to know that you're awake and doing relatively fine."

She nodded, as she looked up in time to see Draco walking into the room, lighting up at the sight of her sitting up.

"I'll give you two some time," Her father said, as he excused himself from the room, leaving her and Draco alone.

"You're okay," Draco said, sounding relieved as he placed the cups of tea down on a table. "I'm so glad you're okay."

He walked over to her, and sat down beside her in the bed. She took his hand in her own, stroking it softly as she smiled up at him.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, "For worrying you. Merlin knows what you've had to go through with me lying here, alone. I should have been with you."

He looked at her, incredulous. "How can you be apologising now for what _he_ did? He hurt you, and you're busy caring about how I am?"

"Because I love you," she said softly, "And while I've been lying in this bed, you've been hurting. So I want to be there for you so you're not alone."

He cupped her face softly, as he placed a kiss on her lips. She leaned into him as he held her when the pulled apart.

"Are you okay?" she asked again, looking up at him.

"How can you ask me that," his voice broke softly, "One of my best friends hurt the woman I love, my mate, because as it turns out, he was never really my friend in the first place. Because if he was, he wouldn't have done this to you."

"It'll be okay," she said, soothingly, "I promise, it'll be okay."

He stiffened against her.

"You can't possibly know that," he said, voice rising, "You've never had a friend betray you and hurt those you love. Your friends are faithful to you, and wouldn't dream of hurting you for even a second. So how can you say that you understand, Hermione? None of them would hurt me, unless I did something to deserve it. None of them would use you selfishly. So don't tell me that it will be okay, because it won't be."

Draco stood up, pulling away from her, and she felt his absence immediately.

"Where are you going?" she asked, worriedly, as he looked at her.

"I need some time alone," he told her, hardly, "I'm glad you're okay, Hermione."

And with that, he walked out of the room, taking the broken pieces of her heart with him.

* * *

 _Morgana stood on the edge of the field, watching as Arthur's men charged at her. She could see her brother riding beside them, as Merlin stood proudly at his side, wielding his staff._

 _In a past life, she would have been so proud to see the two of them standing strong beside each other. To see them, fighting side by side, using magic alongside the muggles._

 _Except her brother, and lover, were coming straight for her, to vanquish her and the curse._

 _As if they stood a chance._

 _Mordred had gathered up a troop of soldiers; of warlocks and druids, still holding grudges, and of men who simply didn't believe in Arthur. Of those who had lost someone who had been unfairly executed in the name of possessing witchcraft, or of those who had lost someone when witchcraft could have saved them._

 _It was safe to say Arthur still had quite a number of enemies._

 _"Morgana," She heard Merlin's voice boom across the field, "End this now. Stop the curse before it takes any more lives, and we can all go home. You can come home. You've made your point. You've achieved what you've set out to do. Come home, and we can be a family together. We can be safe._

 _She thought of her child, safely in hiding with only a few knowing of their location. And that was exactly the way she intended it on being. Because even if she didn't make it out of this, her child would survive, unscathed._

 _"It is too late," Morgana said to Merlin, her voice breaking, "I cannot come home if Arthur is still there. Not after what he's done. After the people he's hurt. Magic is convenient for him now, because it's helping him defeat me. What about after when it becomes inconvenient again? Will he seek my head once more? What if magic causes a death, will there be another ban? No one has banned swords when they seek blood on purpose, yet magic is outlawed due to the bad it could do while overlooking all the positives. I cannot live under that man's rule once more."_

 _"So be it," Arthur's voice echoed back. "I'm sorry it came to this, Sister. I'm sorry we had to fight on opposite sides of the field."_

 _Morgana closed her eyes, and Mordred gave the order for their men to charge forward, and attack Arthur's._

 _She watched, as on either side of her, people were dying. They were getting cut down, be it by magic or swords, on her side and on his. And it was devastating. She only hoped that it would end soon, with her on the throne, and her brother relinquishing his claim to the throne._

 _"Morgana," she heard Merlin's voice cry out, as he fought off soldiers on either side of him, trying to make his way to her._

 _She raised her hand up to put up a barrier, knocking out opposing men, and preventing Merlin from getting too close._

 _"Break the curse," Merlin begged her. "Don't you see, you've done it! You've united us all together, even when it seemed impossible. Just break the curse, and come home. Arthur would forgive you. He would understand."_

 _She laughed at that, "He wouldn't. He would demand my head for what I've done. Even if you overlook the fact that I cast a curse designed to knock out a good amount of the population, I challenged his claim to the throne. How could he forgive someone when there was always the possibility in the back of his mind that I could try and do so once again? He won't forgive me for what I've done. To break the curse, you have to stop me."_

 _"Stop this," he demanded, stepping forward as he tried to break through his barrier._

 _"You can't enter," she said, shaking her head at her love. "My magic has grown stronger, Merlin. My magic has grown far stronger since I left you. I've heard stories about you, you know. The great Wizard who fights alongside Arthur. The elders whisper about your greatness, and your power. Of what you will achieve. But it doesn't make you stronger than me. Because at the end of the day, you still love me, and you cannot hurt me."_

 _"Be that as it may, I cannot allow you to hurt others," Merlin said, looking tired. "I love you with my entire heart and soul, but I cannot allow you to hurt others for any longer. Challenge the throne all you want, but break the curse and let the innocents survive. This war is between you and Arthur. Leave the rest of them out of it."_

 _She looked around, and saw the war continue to wage on, and she sighed, dropping the barrier to allow Merlin in close._

 _He immediately ran to her, looking conflicted, and she wasn't sure if he wanted to kill her or kiss her. She wanted to reach out and touch his face. She had missed him so much, and it was killing her to see them on opposite sides of the field._

 _They hadn't been on opposite sides of anything since their first meeting, when he was practicing swords work, and she challenged him. And her victory had given him a sense of awe and as he told her later, had caused him to fall for her._

 _"Merlin," she said softly her heart breaking, as she wanted to reach out and hold him tightly. She wanted nothing more than to go back to the days before all of this when their biggest worry was whether her brother would agree to their marriage._

 _Not that such a thing could ever happen anymore._

 _And at that very moment, she felt an arrow pierce her heart from behind._

 _As she fell to the ground, she could hear Merlin let out a scream, as Arthur stood over her. Merlin scooped her into his arms, as he held her tightly._

 _"It's in my blood," she said softly, realizing that her time was coming to an end, "The curse is in my blood."_

 _"It didn't need to be your destiny to cast this," Merlin said angrily, as he tried to cast a healing spell over her. "It didn't need to be like this."_

 _"It's ironic isn't it," Morgana laughed out, as she could see the world spin, "I wanted nothing more for magic to thrive alongside muggles, to unite them both. But at the end of the day, being the villain was enough to unite them. I did it, Merlin. I brought them together."_

 _"You did," he said in a thick voice. "You did, Morgana. This isn't the end for you yet. You need to survive this. You need to come home."_

 _She let out a half sob, knowing it wasn't true. The arrow her brother used had been poisoned, and no amount of magic could stop it from killing her._

 _She reached up to cup his face, "I need to tell you something, My Love. When I fled, I was with child. I was with our child. We have a son together, and he's beautiful. Find him, and show him love and kindness."_

 _He looked shocked at that, "A son? What is his name, Morgana?" he gasped out, but she could see the world around her begin to fade around her._

 _She closed her eyes, trying to find the strength to form the words, as the world around her began to darken. She could hear her love screaming, as she faded from the world of the living._

* * *

Theo laughed. If the Aurors thought Azkaban could hold him, he was solely mistaken. He transformed into a dark crow, and easily fit through the bars that held him, flying freely through the wind, as he escaped the prison.

He knew the news of his break out would reach the mainland soon, so he needed to be quick in how he acted, and escalate his plans up.

He knew the chances of Hermione joining him would have been slim. But now she knew he was the heir of Mordred, would she make the connections about what it meant for herself in time to break the curse?

He couldn't have that happening, not when he was so close to achieving greatness. Not when he stood on the verge of finally accomplishing what his ancestors had fought for millennia to achieve. And he would take the world if it was the last thing he did.

He arrived at Morgana's castle, and got to work. He needed to be ready for when they came, and to have everything ready to go.

If they were terrified of the curse before, they would be horrified now, when the progressed sped up. And with the population of the world falling, it wouldn't be long before they gave in and proclaimed him as their rightful ruler.

Soon everything would be his, and there would be nothing anyone could do to stop him from succeeding.


	30. Friendship

**Chapter 30**

 ** _August 1980_**

 _As the days of summer grew longer, Marlene felt herself drifting more and more from the people she once called friends._

 _Of course she kept in contact with James and Lily, as well as Frank and Alice, and Peter on occasion, but as for the rest of them, she barely knew what was happening in their lives._

 _And with Alice and Lily both pregnant, she found herself growing happy, as it meant that her daughter would probably end up in the same year as the children of her friends. It meant that Hermione would have children to grow up with and boss around. And her nearly year old daughter could be a force to reckon with. She used magic to reach for things when Marlene wasn't paying attention, and would listen happily when Marlene read her stories, but would cry when she stopped._

 _Her daughter's favourite was_ Babbity Rabbity and her Cackling Stump _, and Marlene found herself reading it to her almost every night, in an attempt to get her daughter to sleep._

 _But she was perfect, and Marlene couldn't imagine her life without her daughter, nor did she want to. Of course the timing had been far from convenient, but Hermione was easily the best thing in her life._

 _And as Lily gave birth to a boy, Harry James, and Alice giving birth to baby Neville just before, Marlene wondered what their futures would bring, with the prophecy looming over them all. She might have been all alone, but at least a mad man didn't want her child dead due to a few words of a seer. At least her daughter wasn't destined to be chosen to defeat the Darkest Wizard in years. She didn't know how her friends coped with the war, and the pressure that arose from it._

 _Marlene found herself cooing over both babies, as Hermione stared at the two in confusion. And when one would cry, Hermione would look upset. She would try and walk over to the two of them and attempt to comfort them in a series of babbles._

 _Marlene thought it was the cutest thing in the world, how her daughter was looking out for the two younger boys, and trying to make sure they were both okay. Lily and Alice seemed amused through the exhaustion, just glad that for at least a few moments someone else, even if it was another baby, was keeping their weeks old babies entertained._

 _But it didn't stop her from feeling envious when James and Frank took over caring for their children, and would play with the babies, because her daughter's father wasn't doing those things for Hermione. And Hermione had never seen her father, nor would she be able to recognize him when he finally came back, if he even came back._

 _It was hard to stay optimistic after a year and a half, that he would ever come home. She knew Dumbledore promised her that he would, and that he was still alive. And Dumbledore was receiving irregular updates, but they were updates nonetheless. However Remus could never get any news in return as it wasn't safe. He wouldn't know what he was missing until he came home and Hermione had passed most of her major milestones as an infant. How long would it be until their daughter was talking coherently, or she began to run, and dance? Until Hermione made friends, and learned to read, or until she started school? What happened when her daughter asked about her father?_

 _Because it had been a year and a half, and Marlene had no idea when her boyfriend, if she could even call him that anymore, was coming home._

 _And it broke her heart, because she loved him so much, despite how long it had been since she had seen him. And it broke her heart because she didn't know where he was, or if he was doing okay, and if he was in danger. What if Dumbledore made him infiltrate Voldemort's ranks? What if he was off in the dirty underground, or even worse, locked up and being tortured?_

 _She had no idea where Remus was, and Marlene had no idea what to do. How much longer would she have to pretend to be okay when she wasn't? How much longer would it be like this?_

 _She knew Hermione would never be lacking in people who loved her, nor would she have an absence of father figures. But none of them were Remus, and that was the worst part._

 _Marlene wasn't sure how much longer she could do this anymore._

* * *

"What's wrong?" Her father asked, as he entered the room, looking at Hermione who was laying on the couch. She had been released a few hours earlier, and was still upset over the fight she and Draco had gotten into.

"Draco and I got into a spat," she sighed, "He's upset over Theo, and it turned into an argument because apparently I can't understand what it's like to have a friend betray me."

"Ah," Her father said sagely, and she knew he was thinking of his own experiences in the matter.

"How did you deal with it?" she asked him, "When you found out about Peter? Or I guess the first time when you thought it was Sirius who betrayed you?"

"It was terrible," Her father told her, "Because I just lost James and Lily, and then found out Sirius had sold them out, then killed Peter. I thought I lost everyone all at once. And I was so angry because I couldn't understand how my friend could betray me. Even with the truth with Peter, I still can't understand how he could betray us. I know why he did it; he felt inadequate and Voldemort offered him power. But I can't understand how he could betray us when he was like family. Give Draco time, Hermione, and he'll come around."

"In another life time, I could have grown up with Harry," Hermione sighed, thinking about the memories she had seen. "I know I still got to know him later on, but I could have had real friends as a child, and not just have had my books."

"Marlene always was close with Harry's parents," Remus said fondly. "I know I was close to James, but the two of them basically grew up together. Their friendship reminds me of yours with Harry. And quite frankly, if it wasn't for Harry's father pushing us to realize our feelings, with help from Sirius, it would have taken us a lot longer to have gotten together. Although Marlene did help James and Lily get together, so I suppose she returned the favour."

"What was their friendship like?" Hermione asked, curiously.

"They were as thick as thieves," Remus smiled. "Marlene's parents saw James as the son they never had, and his parents saw her as the daughter they always wanted. Their parents were close too, so James and Marlene practically grew up together, and always had some inside secret or the other, and they were always joking around. And when they came to Hogwarts, and James became friends with us, she assimilated into the group slowly. She and Sirius always tended to get along, or at least better than she did with Peter or I. And the jealous part of me thought she would end up with someone like him."

"Why didn't she get along with the two of you?" Hermione asked, interestedly.

"We talked on occasion," Remus said, with a tilt of his head, "Because of my condition, I didn't open up to a lot of people. I wasn't as outgoing as James or Sirius, and was far more hesitant about letting people into my life. I started talking to her far more frequently in sixth year, and started falling for her soon after. Of course, if I had known about how she'd felt about me, I probably would have made a move far sooner than I did."

Hermione smiled, at the thought of her parents together in school.

"What kind of inside secrets did she and James have?" she asked, going back to something Remus had mentioned earlier.

"A variety of things," Remus shook his head, "Usually- about one of their parents, or something that had happened in their childhood that they would use to embarrass the other with. Like Marlene would often tell the story proudly of how when James was five, he once jumped off the roof of his home because he was convinced if he flapped hard enough, he could fly. His mother was furious, and he broke both his legs. Didn't stop him from loving to fly, or even play Quidditch. Or when Marlene was nine, she wanted to put on makeup, so she grabbed a bunch of her mother's collection, without knowing one of the creams she had applied over her face was a hair remover. She ended up with no eyebrows, and James made fun of her for years after."

Hermione grinned at that, and listened as Remus continued to talk.

"I think of their favourite things was to joke about her father, as Mr McKinnon loved to joke that their family came from a long line of powerful witches and wizards, tracing back to Merlin himself. There was never anything to prove it, but it made for a great laugh," Remus said with a grin.

Hermione listened to those words carefully, as she thought about the implications of such a thing. If her grandfather claimed that he was a descendant of Merlin, it meant that she in part was as well. And while there was no proof for such a thing, given Merlin having no recorded children, she wondered if it could be true.

Especially given she knew that Morgana had been with the wizard previously, and had an heir of her own with no named father that she knew of. She started to slowly put the pieces together, wondering if it meant what she thought it did.

Of course it could have been reaching on her part, but she stored that piece of information in the back of her mind, in the odd chance that it could have been true.

* * *

Hermione sat up in the chair she was resting in when she heard the floo sound. Her father had gone out to pick up some stuff for the place, as Harry was busy on an Auror mission, and Sirius was off doing who knows what.

"Granger?" she heard an unfamiliar voice call out. Hermione felt her heart race in panic, unsure of who had come, and reached to grab her wand in defense.

As a man came into the room, Hermione recognized him as one of Draco's friends from Hogwarts.

"Zabini," Hermione said, as he breathing calmed and she placed the wand down on the table beside her.

"Sorry if I startled you," the man said softly, "I just came to see how you were doing, after everything. I hope that's alright."

"It's fine," she said with a smile. "I don't mean to be blunt but the two of us aren't exactly friends. You didn't need to come all the way to see me."

Zabini winced, and Hermione felt realization dawn upon her.

"You're not here because of Theo. You're here because of Draco," she said flatly.

"Yes," Zabini said, and Hermione felt herself grow irritated.

"Did he have to send you to come check on me? Could he not do it himself?" Hermione asked, annoyed at her boyfriend.

"He didn't send me," Blaise said, and Hermione felt herself grow confused. "I'm here because he told me about your fight. And I wanted to talk to you about it, so you didn't blame him for his stupidity."

Hermione stayed quiet, as Blaise sat down in an arm chair across from her.

"Draco, Theo, and I grew up together, in semi-similar lifestyles. It was different for me, because the two of their fathers were insistent on drilling into their heads everyday how a pureblood acts, and behaves. The three of us often got together as children for play dates, and when we went to school we bonded over being in the same house. When Voldemort took over, there was pressure from both of their families to join the Death Eaters, and even my own mother pushed me towards it. But we stayed together, and grew closer. We were family, we're still family. And for Theo to throw all of that aside like he did, is frustrating."

"I can't understand how he could lie to the both of us, and do what he did. I can't even imagine what Draco is feeling, knowing that Theo hurt you like he did. It's like one person he loved and trusted hurt another he loved and cared for. It's incomprehensible, how he could do such a thing," Theo breathed out, in anger. "And the worst part is that he didn't even think of how it would hurt the rest of us. And I know Draco said you couldn't understand how it felt, and that's why he lashed out at you, but Hermione, he's not mad at you. He's mad at himself, and his inability to protect you from all of it. So please don't blame him for what happened. He loves you, and seeing you hurt is devastating for him. He's blaming himself for all of it. He's already lost his father, and other than his mother, you, and I are all the family he has left."

"I can't imagine what it feels like," she said softly, as a pang of pain resonated in her chest. "I don't know what to do, Blaise. I love him so much, and I don't know how to help him. I feel like it's my fault. Theo attacked me, and ruined his friendship with the two of you."

"Don't blame yourself," Blaise said firmly, as he gave her a glance. "Of course it's worse that he hurt you, but the fact that he even tried to hurt anyone after everything is the most devastating. After the war, we all tried so hard to prove that we were different than our parents. That we were _good_ and capable of living peacefully. And he threw it all away. And for what? For some curse? I hope it was worth it."

"I need to see him," Hermione breathed. "Thank you for stopping by, Blaise. I hope you don't mind if I leave to go check on Draco."

Blaise grinned at her. "I'm glad. Go get him, Granger."

Hermione smiled back, as she rushed to the floo and dropped the powder to arrive at her boyfriend's.

When she arrived, she saw Draco lying around on the sofa, staring up at the ceiling.

"Hermione?" he asked when he saw her, sitting up eagerly. "I'm so sorry for everything I said. I didn't mean to say what I did. I'm so sorry-"

She cut him off, but launching herself into his arms, straddling him, as she met his lips with her own. He seemed surprised, as she kissed him passionately, her arms snaked around his neck, and his sliding up her waist.

"I forgive you, of course I forgive you," she said softly, when she pulled away. "I love you, Draco, and I'm sorry for what Theo did. I don't blame you for his actions, and you shouldn't either. It wasn't your fault that he did the things he did."

He looked down, ashamed, as she tilted his head up.

"I love you," he said softly, and she cradled his head into her body, listening to him talk about growing up with Blaise and Theo, and the mischief they would get into. She listened to him tell her how close they had been as children, and how during the war, they found solace in each other. And she listened to him talk about the horrors they had witnessed. She listened for hours, and when he had nothing left to say, she showed him just how much she loved him.

* * *

Theo sighed to himself as he sat in the castle all alone. It wasn't going to be easy, now that his secret was out in the open, and he was a fugitive from the law. Now that others had realized his true intentions, meeting his goal would be a lot harder.

It wasn't supposed to go like this. He wasn't supposed to lose Hermione, and the chance to use her for her destiny to reach his own. Draco was never supposed to find out, nor was Blaise. Not that he had done the things he had to reach his goal.

It wasn't supposed to be like this.

He wasn't supposed to lose his friends over this. They were supposed to stand by his side, like he had stood by theirs. They were supposed to understand that this was his destiny; his fate. That this was something he needed to do. Yet they had turned on him in disgust when they realized just what had happened, and what he had done, after everything they had gone through together.

And he was still so far from reaching his goal, what with not having the blood of Morgana's heir present to reach his goals. All of his plans depended on that blood, and using it to succeed.

It definitely would be harder now to obtain, but he still had to do so. It just meant he would have to pay Hermione a little surprise visit before the Aurors realized that he had escaped. He would have to act soon, that much was certain. If he waited any longer, he might be too late, and the task to break the curse would fall upon a later generation as it had done so many times in the past.

He stared out the window into the night as he mused to himself. He would be different than his ancestors before him. He would succeed to do what so many others had failed to do. He would bring victory to his family line.

The wheels were already in motion after all.


	31. Understanding

**A/N** : Guys I'm so sorry it took so long to post these last two chapters! I had them typed up before I went away, but forgot to upload them as drafts before I left so I could post them, and didn't have a copy on me.

* * *

 **Chapter 31**

 ** _December 1980_**

 _"It's not safe anymore, not for you to stay out in the open," Dumbledore said, in the reduced version of the Order meeting they were currently in. She had been surprised when Dumbledore had asked her to stay after one of the meetings, a little worried that it was because something had happened to Remus, and this was his way of breaking it to them. But he had reassured her that it was not the case, and Remus was perfectly fine._

 _It hadn't taken her long to figure out after that she was here due to the prophecy, seeing the way Dumbledore kept looking at the two couples whose children were involved, like he himself was trying to figure out who it was that Voldemort was going to target. Or maybe he already knew, and was keeping it from them to keep them safe._

 _She hardly would be surprised if he knew just which pair Voldemort was going to target, seeing just how much he seemed to know and seemed to keep from them all._

 _If she were perfectly honest, she wasn't sure why she was allowed to be at the meeting. James, Lily, Frank, and Alice, were all present because of the prophecy which concerned them and their children._

 _It had been a few months since they had first heard of the prophecy which claimed that one of her friend's child would be the one to defeat Voldemort, and it seemed that the dark wizard had made it his own personal vendetta to take care of said problem before the child grew up to ruin him._

 _It didn't make any sense to her. How could a small child, of less than six months, be enough to be a threat to Voldemort? How was he so threatened by a few words which could be far from the truth? How could a wizard who had been terrorizing most of wizarding England be threatened by a baby who had years to go before he could be deemed a considerable threat to him?_

 _Yet Voldemort was furious that such a child could exist, and seemingly had decided to make it his own personal mission to wipe out the threat before he even had a chance to walk._

 _"What do you want us to do?" James demanded, "He wants our baby dead! We can't just take that lying down! We need to fight back. You said yourself, we don't have enough numbers as it is. If we all went into hiding, then who is left to fight for the innocent? Who is left to defend all those who oppose Voldemort? Half the Ministry is already corrupt. Do you think you will get any support from them? Half of the Auror department is already turning a blind eye to everything that is happening. They see the attacks on the street and walk straight past it as if they didn't see a thing. Or even worse, they engage and attack others themselves. They attack muggleborns and halfbloods simply for existing. How can you ask us to stop fighting for our families while that monster is out there, terrorizing our country, and our friends?"_

 _"Because you need to do what is best for your family, James," Dumbledore said softly, with a sigh. "It won't be ideal to have the four of you in hiding, but you need to keep Harry and Neville safe. If they find out where you are, then we all are in danger. Neville and Harry are the best hopes we have."_

 _"Are you saying this entire war relies on babies?" Lily asked incredulously. "What, is this war supposed to go on for the next seventeen years, until one of our children is old enough to defeat him? Or do you want to send them to Voldemort as is, and hope that the prophecy is enough to wipe out the threat of Voldemort? What do you want from us, Dumbledore? I refuse to use my baby as a lamb for the slaughter, used for the greater good. And I can almost guarantee that Frank and Alice feel the same way."_

 _She looked at her friends, and the two nodded in confirmation._

 _"We would do anything for this war to be over," Alice said, "But sacrifice our child. You can't expect that from us, Professor. Our baby is not just some soldier who needs to die in order for the world to achieve peace."_

 _"The world can burn for all I care," Sirius snorted, "Before you harm my godson, or Neville. Neither of their lives are so irrelevant that they can be thrown away for world to be at peace. And I can assure you that the rest of the Order would feel the same way if they were here now."_

 _"It doesn't matter if I think your children are the ones who will defeat Voldemort," Dumbledore told them. "All that matters is that Voldemort thinks that there is a chance that your children could. And for that, you all are in danger. He has gone to extreme measures, almost inhumane measures, to ensure that he cannot be defeated. And all of a sudden, there is a prophecy claiming it to be the destiny for one of your children to be the saviour for us all. Do you really think he will allow that risk? He's going to come after the four of you, and anyone else who possibly could know of your whereabouts. You need to go into hiding for your own safety. And you need to use the Fidelius charm so that no one but a secret keeper will know of your whereabouts. That way it doesn't matter where the two of you are, no one but that person will be able to find you, even if they walked straight up to your house and peered into the windows. But I must beg you to choose wisely. I can volunteer to be your secret keeper if you like, or you can chose one of your friends."_

 _Marlene felt herself shaking at the conversation, and she felt herself wonder if she was in danger due to the nature of her friendship with both couples. Or even due to whatever it was that Remus was doing. Whether she liked it or not, she was just as much a part of this war. She hadn't exactly kept it hidden that she was fighting, and seeing how her friendship was well known, she knew that there was probably a wide target on her back. It would be something she would have to discuss with her parents when she got home, but she knew that they would probably feel the same way in terms of protecting their family from harm._

 _She loved James and Lily, as well as Frank and Alice, but the last thing she wanted was to be at risk when she had her own toddler to protect. She had a family to think of, and she couldn't risk their lives. She wondered if she should cast the charm over her home as well, and chose a secret keeper to keep her home safe._

 _The obvious choice would be James and Lily, but the pair had so much to worry about, with Voldemort after them. She could hardly ask them for anything else, after they had done so much._

 _Now she just needed to figure out who to choose._

* * *

Hermione gasped as she took the Daily Prophet in her hands, the letter on the front page catching her eye.

 _To Wizarding England,_

 _I feel like it is my duty to warn you all of a terrible secret that has been hidden for millennia. This secret has much to do with what is happening in our world today, and you deserve to know the truth of it all. Secrets and lies have plagued us for so long, and you deserve the truth, after everything that has happened to us._

 _The truth is, almost two thousand years ago, a terrible curse was cast by Morgana, in an attempt to unite magic and muggles, and force her brother, King Arthur to turn the kingdom to her. However, before the curse could be broken, she was slain by her brother._

 _And every few hundred years or so, the curse comes in the form of a plague and wipes out hundreds of the population, leaving very few left. This can be seen multiple times in history, if you line up dates for epidemics, such as the Black Plague, the Bubonic Plague, Yellow Fever outbreak, and so many more._

 _But what is worse, is that the curse is choosing now to strike again, when our population is the lowest of lows after the last war._

 _We're all in danger, and if we're not careful, the entire population could easily be wiped out. All of us are in danger, and the only way is to break the curse. The only problem is that the person who can has been dead for thousands of year._

 _However there is another way. I know how to break the curse, and I will do so and save us all. I know how to stop the panic and the deaths, and I know how to ensure that we all make it out of this in one piece. You just need to trust me, and follow me when the time is right. I will save us all._

"What is it?" Draco asked, as he walked over to where she was standing, and read the letter she had just finished. "Theo," he said flatly.

"How did he get this article to the paper?" she asked in confusion, as Bill glanced over it. They had all gotten into work early that day, desperate to break the curse after the betrayal they had all experienced.

She could see the illness progressing in her friend, as Bill had grown pale and looked faint. But despite her prompting, he had refused to stay at home and rest, much to her chagrin.

"I don't know," Bill shook his head, "He's in Azkaban, he should have no way of communicating with the outside world. So how he got his letter published is beyond me."

Draco sighed, "He's not wrong though. The only person who could have broken the curse is long gone, and we still have no leads as to who the heir even is."

Hermione bit her lip softly, before saying, "I might have an idea."

Bill and Draco looked up at her in surprise.

"Who?" Draco asked curiously, as he gave her a puzzled look.

"This might be a long shot," Hermione started, "But don't dismiss it just yet as desperation to find the heir." She could see both of them looking at her with anticipation, and she continued. "I think it might be me."

"You?" Draco asked, and Bill looked as if he were lost in thought.

"Hear me out," Hermione said softly, "I was the one who could enter the castle first, and could remove Morgana's book from the bookshelf. It was my blood who unlocked the details of the curse, and me who felt magic at the site when neither of you did. Theo attacked me, saying it was my destiny to break the curse with a purpose. That coupled with the fact that I talked to my father yesterday, who claimed that my maternal grandfather used to say our family was descendants of Merlin, whom we know had no heirs, but also know was in a relationship with Morgana, who had a child. And on top of that, I dreamt of her."

"You dreamt of her?" Bill asked, in surprise. "When was this? What happened?"

"She told me I was the key," Hermione admitted. "I didn't know what it meant anything, as it could have been a stress dream. But given everything else that had happened, I can't help but wonder if it could be true."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Draco asked her softly. "Of any of this. That you had a feeling you could be the heir?"

"Because I still don't know if it's true," she said softly. "What if this is me projecting out of desperation, because I feel like we are out of time. If I was the heir, think of how much more convenient it is, than if it were some random stranger off the street?"

"It makes sense," Bill said thoughtfully, "It certainly would explain half the things that had been happening. Especially considering Theo attacked you personally, unwarrantedly. It wasn't as if he attacked you when you stumbled upon his secret. No, he chose to reveal himself to you and he chose to tell you the truth, claiming he needed you. Of course it could just be because you are a brilliant witch and he needed your help, but it could also be due to something more. And that paired with how Morgana's items and castle reacted to your presence. I wouldn't say it is a far reach. Why do I feel like I've made these connections before? It certainly feels as if I had."

"Wait you knew?" Draco asked, confused, "Why didn't you ever say anything if you knew it was possible that Hermione was the heir?"

"I don't know," Bill said, puzzled. "I wasn't even aware that I knew until Hermione mentioned it earlier. It all seems pretty foggy, to be honest. I'm not even sure if I knew, or in hindsight it just seems obvious."

"We should verify if it is true or not," Draco said, taking Hermione's hand in his own. "I refuse to let you break the curse without knowing, and in doing so, harm yourself. I won't lose you, Hermione. Who knows what the side effects of trying to improperly break this curse once more could be."

"Okay," she squeezed his hand tightly.

"For this to work, we need to cast a spell on an item of Morgana's and use some of Hermione's blood to see if there is a genetic match," Bill explained. "If it works, it will glow bright white."

"And if it doesn't?" she questioned, curious to know what would happened.

"It will turn red," Bill said, as he took her other hand in both of his. "I'll be gentle."

She nodded and he pricked her index finger carefully, and allowed for the blood to spill out onto a cup in front of them. Draco stroked her other hand, as Bill cast the charm.

" _Familia revelare_ ," Bill said, and the blood began to move from the cup, and onto the diary, as it merged with it.

Nothing happened for a few moments, and Hermione felt herself growing anxious, desperate to know the truth of what was happening.

But before the diary began to glow one way or another, she noticed a patronus of a stag appear in front of them.

 _"Theo has escaped,"_ the stag said in the voice of Harry, _"He's taken the ministry of magic. Hermione, I think he is up to something disastrous. He's demanding your presence, Hermione. We need your help to stop him."_

"He got out?" Draco growled, as he stood. "I won't let him hurt you. Not again, not after what he did."

"We need to go, Draco," she said cupping his face, "How many innocents will be harmed in his plan if we don't? Even if we don't intend to help him, we need to stop him. He can't have my blood to break the curse his way. Who knows what the repercussions will be of him doing so? You read the letter this morning; he wants to rule England. He's not trying to break this curse permanently. He's doing so to bring the world into a rule of dictatorship. We can't let him win. Not after everything that's happened. We need to stop him, one way or another."

"I can't let him hurt you," Draco said, looking down, "He can't hurt the woman I love, the woman I'm mated to, for his selfish reasons. Hermione, you are my everything. Not just because of this bond, but because I wholly love you with my entire heart and soul. I can't live without you, and for Theo to think harming you is okay, makes me want to destroy him. I cannot stand for anyone trying to hurt you, not again. It killed me to see you lying in that hospital bed."

"So I won't get hurt," she said firmly, promising him of her wellbeing. "Draco, we need to go, you know that as well as I do."

He sighed, and grabbed his wand. Together, the three of them apparated away to the Ministry, none of them noticing the bright colour the diary was glowing, revealing the outcome of the spell, and whether Hermione was the heir or not.

* * *

Theo stood at the centre of the Ministry of magic, no one noticing his presence just yet. He smiled to himself as he knew that in just a short while, he would be at the centre of this all; that he would be the ruler of all of it. He had already heard the gossip and fear spreading from the aftermath of the letter her had sent the Prophet earlier. The people were terrified and they wanted reassurance that someone was doing something to keep them safe. And that was exactly what he planned on doing.

He knew that the moment he stood and began to speak, the Aurors would be alerted of his presence, and that they would start to come for him. He would need to act quickly, if he wanted to turn a considerable amount of the population onto his side before that happened.

He stood up tall, as he began to levitate himself up high into the air, earning the attention of the room as they watched, in fascination, curious of what was going to happen. He could see the Ministry official carefully watching, not doing anything just yet, as he hadn't posed to be a threat just yet. If only they knew.

He smiled to himself, knowing his time was coming. Everything his family had fought for so long would finally come to pass. He would be the one to bring them all the legacy they had desired and fought for. He would be the one who succeeded.


	32. Speeches

**Chapter 32**

 ** _March 1981_**

 _After two years of no contact from Remus, the last thing she had been expecting was to come home to a letter from him._

 _It had been a long day, and she was exhausted, what with several people being injured in the last attack on one of their safe houses by the Death Eaters._

 _It was terrifying just how much they knew, and Marlene was confused as to how they seemed to know so much about her side, when it seemed like they knew nothing about the Death Eaters. Who was feeding them the information, and just how much did they know? Did they know James and Lily, and Frank and Alice had gone into hiding? Did they know where, or at least generally due to the fact that both couples had secret keepers? Did they know who those secret keepers were?_

 _Not that it would be hard to guess. Anyone who knew James and Lily could guess it would either be her or Sirius as their secret keeper. But they hadn't asked her, partly because of Hermione, and partly because they didn't want to place that burden on her._

 _Suffice to say, she had been exhausted when she had gotten home that day, and seeing the letter from Remus had been a surprise, albeit a pleasant one._

 _She held it nervously in her hands, the proof that he was alive, and that he hadn't forgotten about her. She turned it over, wondering if there had been a return address posted, but wasn't surprised to see nothing listed._

 _She opened it carefully, as she pulled out the letter and held it in her hands, curious to see what he had chosen to write to her about after nearly two years._

My Dear Marlene,

I'm so sorry. I didn't expect to be gone from you for so long when I took this mission from Dumbledore. I thought it would be a few weeks, maybe months at the most. I never thought it would be this long. But as the days grow longer, I find myself wanting for nothing more to come home to you. I want us to be together, to have a life together, and grow old together, instead of spending so many lonely nights apart.

I want to wake up next to you, and have your face be the first thing I see every morning. I want to listen to your voice when you tell me about thing, be it about your day, or be it you simply talking to me. I miss you so much, and thinking of coming home to you and holding you tightly in my arms.

I wish I could tell you of what I've been doing. I wish I could tell you of what was so important, I needed to be gone for so long in order to do so. But alas, I cannot. For if this letter falls in the wrong hands, it could put us all in danger.

I know that's not a good enough of a reason. I can only imagine how angry you are at me, how hurt you must be. I'm not entirely sure I would be able to understand it if I were in your position. So I pray that you forgive me when I come home to you. I pray that you don't hate me, and you welcome me back, even if your arms aren't wide open for my return. I'm sorry, Marlene. I'm sorry that I had to leave you alone.

I'm sorry for not writing to you sooner. I wish I could have, but sending letters has been such a danger. Where I am, no one cares about us. So there is no one for us to write to. We're supposed to be here out of isolation and out of fear; out of rejection from society. No one else is receiving letters, and for a moment if it appeared that I was here while I was still cared for, I would be rejected. And I couldn't have that Marlene, not when I've spent so long earning their trust and earning a place amongst them. And I've done it; they trust me almost explicitly. I wish I could say that means my mission is almost over, but it is far from so. I still need to do so much more to convince them of things I cannot tell you.

But I assure you, I will come home to you soon. I refuse to be separated from you for much longer. I promise my love, I will come home to you. I promise I will be there for you and we will have the life together that we both desire. I will come home to you soon.

I cannot promise that it will be easier for me to write to you, because that would be a lie. I have no idea when I can write to you next. Even now, this letter has taken so long to write, for I cannot blow my cover. But that doesn't mean I won't try to contact you once more. I wish I could have some sort of reassurance that this letter will reach you, but we both know that will be next to impossible.

I take comfort in hoping that it does reach you, and that when you receive this, you will not throw it away, set it on fire, or tear it to shreds. But if you did so, I wouldn't blame you. I've missed so much, and I don't know if there is any way I could ever make that up to you. And I'm so sorry for that. I wish I could have been there for you. I wish I could be there with you through all of this. I wish I could see you, even if for a moment.

Please forgive me, Marlene. Please forgive the fact that I had to leave.

I love you, more than life.

Yours,

Remus.

 _Marlene sunk down to the ground as she began to cry. While she hadn't given up on his return, she had given up on ever hearing from him. Yet here was proof in her hands that he still loved her and wanted to come home. Here was proof that he was alive._

 _But he missed so much more than he could ever know. How would he react when he came home to find himself a father?_

 _She had lost so much in this war, but she refused to lose him. Not after everything else she had lost in her life._

* * *

Hermione flooed into the Ministry of Magic, with her heart beating loudly in her chest. She was terrified, to say in the least, of what she would find when she arrived.

She was terrified to see Theo again after he had attacked her. Because if that was his desperation then, to get her blood, what would it be now? He was attacking the Ministry, for Merlin's sake! And she knew she wouldn't necessarily be alone. It would be all of them against him, so really, she should have nothing to fear. But that didn't stop her from feeling concerned as she arrived at the Ministry of Magic, unsure of what she would be facing upon her arrival.

When she stepped out of the floo, she saw a crowd gathering up ahead, as a figure stood, drifting in the air, not saying a single word as of yet.

She could see Aurors standing around the room, appraising the situation, as they tried to figure out what it was exactly they were dealing with, and just how much of a danger Theo was.

She could see Draco move closer to her, as he held her hand partly out of concern for her, and partly so they did not get separated in the crowd.

Bill gave them both a concerned look, as they all moved closer to the centre, to see what it was exactly that Theo was planning on doing. Blaise had arrived as well, and Hermione wondered if Draco had sent him a message of what their friend was doing.

Harry was standing close by, with Ron beside him, and he gave the two of them a worried look.

"You shouldn't be here," Harry urged them, "He wanted to hurt you before, Hermione. This is his plan to lure you out. You should be far from here, somewhere where he can't hurt you again. You shouldn't be here, Hermione."

"And leave all these innocent people?" she asked looking incredulous. "If I stayed in hiding, he would hurt more innocent people just to get to me. I can't let others put themselves at risk because he wants to use me for my blood. Harry, you and I both know that you wouldn't be hiding yourself away if it were you. You and I both know that you faced more, when it would have been safer for you to hide yourself away, so don't act like I'm doing something so surprising."

Harry looked a little worried but nodded nonetheless, "You're right," he sighed. "You've stood by me all those times, so who am I to not stand by you now? But promise me you won't do anything stupid, liking going with him to save the rest of us, or sacrifice yourself. We have the numbers to defeat him, Hermione. He's not going to get away from our custody again. Just be safe?"

She gave him a reassuring smile, "I won't," she assured him, much to the relief of Draco, as written on his face. His grip on her hand had tightened considerably when Harry mentioned her contemplating sacrificing herself, and for that she was glad.

She looked up to see Theo staring down at them, and he glanced across the room and spotted her, a smirk filled his face. She guessed that he had been waiting for her to arrive before proceeding to speak.

The people around them were buzzing with speculation as they tried to guess what was happening.

She took a deep breath, as she prepared herself for what was about to happen.

"You've all heard by now the rumours of this so called Ancient Curse," Theo said, captivating the silence of the room, as everyone paid him close attention in an effort to figure out what was happening. "I wish I could tell you it was false. I won't like to you, not like the Ministry has done for years. Not like those who blatantly deny it, or those who pretend it doesn't even exist. Because you deserve better than that. You deserve the truth of what is happening, and not some half assed lie where I try to deceive you."

"And what is the truth?" she heard a scoff from someone across the room, "Do you think any of us even believed the rumours of this curse? How stupid do you think we are to fall for something like that? Just because you wrote a letter, and now are wasting all of our time, who's to say that this curse is even real? What if this is your attempt to spread panic without any real substance? You cannot honestly expect us to believe you without any evidence. You cannot expect us to believe you when you haven't given us any real reason to."

"What would it take to convince you?" Theo raised a brow. "You've heard of the deaths that have happened lately, with no cause that can be explained. You've heard the whispers in St. Mungos of a new plague outbreak. How many people need to die for you to believe that something is amiss? Before you admit that there could be a problem?"

"Show us proof that this curse exists," someone else claimed, "Morgana lived centuries ago. How can we trust that something that happened back then even affects us now? Even if you had proof of such a curse, what's to say that it didn't just die off with her? What's to say that it's carrying over now? You haven't given us anything but your word, and claim that we ought to trust you."

"But what if he's right?" she heard another voice ask, "What if there is a curse? We cannot just ignore the accusations out of fear. We hid from the truth of Voldemort's return and look where that landed us. We need to investigate and see if it's true. And if it is, he knows how to break it. Or at least knows enough of the curse to know that it exists. We can't just hide from this too."

She could hear murmurs of agreement, and she felt worry growing in her heart. What if it wasn't her plan to take them as hostages in return for her cooperation? What if his plan was to gather the support of everyone in the wizarding world, and use it to his favour? What better way to control people if not with fear?

"What happens if the curse isn't broken?" a scared voice asked from a woman close to her. She looked terrified, as she crossed her arms around her body as if to protect herself from it. "Will we all die?"

"I cannot say for sure," Theo said, in a grave voice, "But it is a very likely possibility. The numbers of the wizarding world are at an all-time low, and as a result, if this curse were to hit with a full blown plague, I cannot say for sure that enough of us would survive to continue on our legacy. Our numbers would be less than a few thousand, if even that high. This curse does not pick who will be killed. It will go after your mother, your father, your siblings, your children, and our spouse. It does not discriminate, not between blood status, wealth, intellect. There is nothing you can do to stop it from going after those you love, and nothing that can be done to save those you love, no matter how much I wish it wasn't so."

"What do we do?" another voice asked in fear. "How do we stop this?"

"Have faith in me," Theo answered solemnly, and Draco scoffed beside her. "Trust that I can stop this, with your help. Trust that I have your best interests at heart, and trust that I can save us all; that I can be our saviour. I just ask that when the time comes, you remember that it was I who helped us, and that it was I that prevented any more unnecessary deaths."

"I cannot believe people are actually believing this," Draco murmured with a shake of his head, "He's so full of it, like honestly. He's no one's saviour. Not even his own. He doesn't have their best interests at heart, but they're all eating it up like the gullible fools they are."

"How do we break this curse?" another voice piped up, and Hermione felt a bad feeling begin to stir in her stomach. "And why haven't you if you know how? Do you even know how?"

"I do," Theo nodded, looking at the ground. "As for why I have not broken the curse as of yet, I wish I could say that I could. You see, I know how to break the curse, however it entails one powerful ingredient that I do not possess. It requires the blood of Morgana's descendant, however when I made the individual aware of this fact, and asked them to help me break the curse, I was met with blatant refusal."

"Why that little bastard," Draco snarled from beside her, "This is not even close to what happened, and he knows it. How dare he spin this in his favour, when he is the one who hurt you? When he is the one who attacked you and tried to force you to break the curse like he did. How dare he try and come off as a saviour when he is the villain in this tale."

"Who was it?" someone shouted out, and she could hear the whispers around her as people speculated who could be selfish enough to not help them break the curse which endangered all of their lives. If only they knew the truth of it all.

"Someone I believe you all know very well. A war hero who once sacrificed her life for all of us, yet now refuses to have anything to do with saving us. Hermione Granger, or Lupin, is the descendant of Morgana Le Fay and Merlin, and the key to breaking this curse and saving us all. And she knows this, yet refuses to help us. She refuses to do anything to save us."

"You and I both know that isn't true!" Draco yelled out, gathering the attention of the room. "She has been working on trying to break this curse for months. She didn't even know she was the heir, and still doesn't know for sure if she is. How dare you spread lies and try and tarnish her name for your own gain!"

"So she knew of the curse and didn't warn us?" someone yelled out at them, "That seems rather suspicious to me. As the descendant of the original caster, what's to say she doesn't want Morgana's legacy to live on in the form of this curse? How can we trust her to have our best interests at heart?"

"Because she's Hermione Bloody Granger," Ron sad irately. "She's had your best interests at heart when you didn't care for hers as a muggleborn during the war. She's fought for you continuously, since the age of twelve to save us all on countless occasions. That person would not simply change to stop caring for all of us. But Theodore Nott, descendant of Mordred, has your best interests at heart; yeah right."

"Then tell her to break the curse," Someone else challenged, "If she is the heir, then she should be able to do so. So what's stopping her from doing so? At least Nott has warned us and tried to do something to stop this."

"Yes, Granger," Theo said, with a glint in his eye, as he lowered himself to the ground, "Come with me and we can end this once and for all. Let's break this curse as we always were meant to do so."

"Don't do it," Draco hissed, but everyone around them had already began to swarm her, begging, yelling, demanding, and threatening her to do so.

She felt her heart race, and at that moment she could see no other way out of this. She supposed she always could just go alone to the castle and break the curse, but it seemed as if Theo had the majority. Even as powerful as she and her friends were, they couldn't take on all the witches and wizards around them,

She walked forward, despite the yells from her friends. As she approached Theo she took a deep breath and said, "Let's break this curse."

And faster than she could react, he had reached out, grabbed her, and the two of them apparated away from the scene.


	33. Bound

**Chapter 33**

 ** _June 1981_**

 _Marlene held Hermione close to her chest. The near two year old looked puzzled as she held her mother back as well, without question._

 _She was terrified, and she had no idea what to do. Several Order safe houses had been attacked and burned down in the search for Harry and Neville, and Marlene couldn't help but question what would happen if for one second anyone suspected she was offering them refuge. Hell, what if she was attacked just for knowing both the Potters and Longbottom? Tortured, simply as a hope that she would give up the friends she considered to be family._

 _It wasn't her life she was scared for, however. She would die for her friends, as she knew they would for her. But she refused for her daughter to be a pawn in this game of death. She refused to endanger her daughter's life because she knew the difference between right and wrong._

 _She barely had contact with her friends anymore, except for the odd letter or visit. Both of them were tightly locked up, under the fidelous charm._

 _It made her feel more isolated than she had in years, what with Remus gone still, and the friends she had hiding for their safety. Sure, she still had Sirius and Peter, but she hadn't talked to the former in years, aside from nods of acknowledgement, followed by pretending the other didn't exist._

 _She wanted to show Remus' letter in his face, and show him that his friend was still alive, and that he had plans to come home soon, and that he was alive and well. She wanted to show him how wrong Sirius had been, and that Remus wanted to come home, but couldn't. But she knew better than to hope he would believe a few words on a page, proving his innocence._

 _So as odd as it might have seen to her teenage self, Marlene felt herself growing close to Peter. She supposed it was both of them felt slightly abandoned by their friends, despite understanding the reasoning more than anything. They hardly asked for a mad man to hunt down their family in search of an infant child._

 _Peter understood what she was going through better than anyone. She hadn't told him about her child yet, not when all of them were still in danger. She knew it was a risk, for anyone to know of her daughter's existence. How easy would it be for a supporter of Voldemort to threaten Hermione's life to find out where her friends were?_

 _It was why she needed to do it. She had put it off for long enough, and she knew that she needed a secret keeper. That it was the only way to almost certainly guarantee her safety. She couldn't exactly ask Alice or James if they would be hers, as they had their own problems, and she didn't want them to feel any more guilt than they already did._

 _And she wasn't entirely sure she wanted Dumbledore to know any more about her situation than he did. Asking him to be her secret keeper was opening herself up to questions that she didn't want._

 _"I got your letter," Peter told her, as they met in a muggle area near her home, "Why did you want to meet in person?"_

 _"I need to ask you a favour," she told him softly, "And I completely understand if you say no. I'm not asking this lightly; I know the burdens that it will cause and the dangers it will put you in."_

 _"What is it?" her friend asked her softly, as she stared out at the children playing on the playground in front of her._

 _"I want to go into hiding," she admitted, "I'm afraid for my parent's sake that something might happen to us because of who we are to the Potters and the Longbottoms. I don't want the Death Eaters to show up on my door one day, demanding to know where they are, and me being unable to do something. I need to keep them safe."_

 _"Okay," Peter said, giving her a nod._

 _"Will you be my secret keeper if we preform the fidelous charm?" she asked him softly, looking up to meet his eyes._

 _The man blinked, and she could tell he hadn't been expecting that._

 _"Are you sure you want it to be me?" he asked, waiting for a moment, "If they come for me, I'm hardly the most reliable to be able to fight back. If they kill me, the charm will be broken, and you will be in danger once more. Wouldn't you prefer someone like Sirius who could hold them off?"_

 _'No," she said firmly. "I trust you, Peter. I understand if you say no, however. You have your own worries to care for. But I trust you."_

 _The man looked up, smiling at her, "I'll do it then, Marlene. I'll be your secret keeper."_

 _"Great," Marlene smiled back, as she felt a flicker of hope._

* * *

Hermione held her guard up as Theo apparated them away from the Ministry of Magic and straight to Morgana's castle. She had been grasping her wand, but somehow in the middle of apparation, he had summoned it from her.

And when they landed, she found herself unable to move.

She looked around Morgana's study, the room they had landed in, and saw it looked far different than it had the last time she had appeared here, with the others. Instead of looking untouched for years on end, it looked as if Theo had set up camp in the castle in their absence, going through all of Morgana's stuff. There were books all over the study Morgana once used, and ingredients everywhere, as it looked like he had been experimenting with different potions combinations.

And to prove it, a cauldron stood a few metres from where she had landed, bubbling furiously, as a light amount of smoke filled the air. Judging by the colour and consistency, she had a strong guess of just what the potion was meant to do, and why Theo was brewing it in the first place, much to her dismay.

To say she wasn't worried would be an understatement.

"Sorry," Theo said, shrugging at her, "I couldn't take the chance that you would fight back. Of course you wouldn't have when we were in public eye, but now that we're alone, there's nothing stopping you from hexing me."

"How dare you," she asked him, angrily. "How dare you use the public like that? Do you have any idea what you've done?"

"Tell them the truth?" he asked, raising a brow. "Weren't you lot all so insistent the public be informed when Voldemort returned? How is this any different from that?"

"Because we aren't turning a blind eye to it!" she yelled, "We weren't hiding it from the public, we were trying to break the curse before it even became a matter that the public should have been concerned with. We wanted to stop this before it even became a problem."

"That worked out so well," Theo snorted. "Bill will probably die from his curse, the public hates you, and you probably still will die."

"At least we aren't using this curse to further our social standing. What's your plan, to break this curse, and rule the world as their saviour?"

"I have no intentions of that," Theo said with a laugh, "You see, people are easy to control when they're terrified. "No, I plan on breaking Morgana's curse through the use of my own. But unlike Morgana, I don't plan on ever having my own heir, meaning my blood with be the only thing that can break this curse. Nor would there be any pauses in my curse. It would just carry out to my desire. I think you'll find that people _will bend to my will when I'm the one who controls who can live and die."_

"You're sick," she whispered in disgust, as she looked up at him, "How can you care so lightly for the value of human life? Is power that important to you that you'll throw away your humanity to achieve your goals?"

Theo shrugged, "This is my destiny," he told her. "This is what the blood of Mordred has sought for years on end. Waiting for the time to be right. You see, we lost track of your family line through the years, but I traced it back, painfully. I knew who you were before you even knew there was a curse. Unlike Mordred, Morgana was soft. She cared about her lover and she cared about her child, both of which made her weak, and caused her defeat. And I don't plan on being defeated anywhere near as easily as she did. I have no family, or lovers. I have nothing that can be used against me. But you on the other hand, just as Morgana, have a lot to lose. You have your friends, your family, Draco. All of whom you would die to protect. So which one do I need to threaten first, before you admit defeat?"

"If you think any of them would be fine with this, you're mistaken. I might die for my friends, but I will not endanger the rest of the world as a result. If I die today, it will be trying to stop you from succeeding. Not by bending down to your will and helping you cast this curse which would destroy the world as we know it. I could care less if the public hates me. I've been on that end of the media for half my life. I know the truth, and at the end of the day, that's okay with me. If you think I came here for public opinion, you're wrong. I came here so I could know just what your plan is, so I would know how to stop you."

Theo laughed, "And now that you know, how do you plan on stopping me?" He had moved close to her, standing centimetres from her face. He stroked her face lightly and she felt herself shiver.

"In another world, the two of us could have ruled side by side," Theo said with a sigh, "It was our birth right to be able to do so. In another world, we would have reigned, as we were meant to. We could done what our ancestors had failed to do so. We could have had everything, Hermione. But you insisted on being on the wrong side of this. You insisted on resisting our destiny."

He turned his back to her, as he moved to work on the potion, stirring it in intervals of three in a clockwise motion, followed by one counter clockwise stir.

 _"Hermione,"_ she heard a voice in her mind call out to her, and she closed her eyes briefly, as Draco filled her mind. _"Hermione, are you okay?"_

 _"I'm fine,"_ she told Draco mentally, slightly startled. She had always known her relationship with Draco was strong, especially since they had completed the bonding ceremony. But other than being able to sense how the other was feeling, and feel strongly toward one another, they hadn't exactly pushed the limits of their bond. Which was why she was surprised that they would be able to mentally communicate.

She had known such a thing was a possibility, of course. She had read the books on the topic. She knew he probably could sense her fear as well as communicate with her.

 _"Where are you?"_ Draco asked her frantically, " _The Ministry is a mess, trying to contain the mess Theo left us with. Are you safe? Has he hurt you?"_

 _"I'm at Morgana's castle,"_ She thought. _"He hasn't hurt me yet, but he needs my blood still. He wants to break the curse by casting his own. Draco, he's going to hurt everyone with this. We can't let him get away with this."_

 _"I'm coming, Hermione,"_ his words promised her, _"And I'm bringing an army. I won't let him get away with this."_

She closed her eyes, and prayed Draco wouldn't be too late. But in the meantime, she was the one who was here, not Draco. Which meant the duty of stopping Theo fell to her. And she would be damned if she let Theo getting away with a curse that would hurt hundreds.

She looked at him determinedly, trying to stall him from obtaining her blood. It had been what delayed him for so long from succeeding. All she needed to do was hold him off for long enough to stop him.

"Is ruling the world that important to you?" she asked him, curiously, "To the extent where you would allow yourself to have no weaknesses? No family, or friends. No children who can stop you with their blood. No partners to stand by your side. You've already thrown away Blaise and Theo through your actions. What's the point in having the world bend down at your feet if you're alone?"

Theo laughed, "You underestimate their importance in my life. Every single thing I've done has led to this moment. Everything has been about carrying out the tasks assigned to me. It has all been about success."

He stepped forward at that, and she felt her heart race, as she determinedly tried to cast a wandless freeing charm. But with her mind clouded from panic, it made the spell a lot harder, combined with being non-verbal.

He pointed his wand at her arm, and she felt herself tense up, unsure of what he was going to do. She got her answer a few seconds later, as she felt a sharp pain in her arm.

"It really is nothing personal, Granger," he told her softly, as he collected the blood flowing down her arm into a vial, while she clenched her teeth, unwilling to let him see her in pain. "It makes all of this all the more bittersweet, seeing the history our two sides have. Despite our ancestors fighting together, we found ourselves on opposite sides of this battle since day one, did we not? You with your muggle history, your placement in Gryffindor, which side you were on during the war, and now, you trying to stop me. Yet Morgana and Mordred fought together like family. A little ironic, don't you think?"

"Morgana wanted to save everyone from Arthur," she said, stonily. "Albeit, her methods were wrong, but towards the end, she realized the truth and tried to stop her curse. Mordred was all about power and vengeance from day one. He wanted nothing more than to rule. So do not compare the two as such. There's a difference, and that must be recognized. Not that it changes anything. I will not ever fight along your side. And if you think for one second I'm stupid enough to think you'll let me leave this place, then you are very mistaken. I've known since I came here that you have no intentions of keeping me alive."

"And if I did?" he asked her, cocking a brow at her. "If you agreed to rule by my side, as my co-leader, my Queen, and my wife, as Mordred and Morgana could have done, in another life."

She laughed, "Then I would say you're even more twisted than I thought you were; asking the bonded of your former best friend, and your current prisoner, _whose arm you just cut open_ , if she wanted to rule by your side. I would say no."

His face twisted into a smile at that, as he looked at her, "I thought so. It was a nice fantasy; for our two bloodlines to finally come together. However, that's all it was; a fantasy. Because despite your heritage, you're still the same Hermione Granger we all knew; always fighting for some cause or the other, even when you're on the wrong side of things and fail to see a bigger picture. Which is why I knew I could never propose it with faith you would accept."

And with that, he turned his back to her, walking straight to the cauldron with the vial of her blood, and poured it straight into it. She felt her heart drop at that, knowing it was over for her, if she didn't get out of the spell holding her bound quickly, for Theo no longer had any use for her.

The cauldron began to bubble rapidly, as green smoke rose to the air around them. The potion was near complete, missing just one key ingredient still; the blood of the new caster.

She closed her eyes, as she heard Theo mutter another severing charm, over his own hand. She cleared her mind, trying to block out all that was happening in the room, despite how fast her heart was beating at the thought of Theo dropping his blood into the cauldron.

She felt a breeze of wind blow around her in that moment, as the magic in the air felt more powerful than before. She wondered if Theo could feel it too, as she chanted the counter spell in her mind, over and over.

When the spell was finally released, she held her position, unwilling to let Theo see that she was free just yet.

"You said you don't care about your friends," she asked him softly, "But Draco and Blaise told me what the three of you went through. I know that you were closer than brothers, and a bond like that doesn't vanish overnight. It's not just something you can pretend to be a part of when it is convenient for you. How are you going to face them both after this? How will you look them in the eyes?"

"Do you really think I care?" Theo raised a brow at her, dangling his bleeding hand over the cauldron. All it would take was a single drop for the curse to be cast. "That some childhood friendship is that important to me, when I am so close to reaching my destiny? They mean nothing to me. Not then, and not now."

"You know, after all this time, I still hoped there was a shot at redemption for you," a voice came from the shadows. As the disillusion spell dropped, Hermione saw Draco standing there, looking disappointed in his friend.

She could see Theo's face pale at that, as the room filled with Aurors dropping the spell, and all of a sudden, it seemed as if the game had changed.


	34. Attacked

**Chapter 34**

 _ **July 1981**_

 _It happened on a Wednesday._

 _It had been an ordinary day, as Wednesdays usually were. She had woken up that morning, and had breakfast with her parents and her daughter._

 _It had become a routine; waking up, and then slowly waking up her daughter and getting her ready for the day. Hermione was nearly two years old, and her baby was growing up so fast in front of her. She could have short conversations with her, and was already flipping through picture books on her own. She could recognize more written words at her age than most children could at age three._

 _Despite helping out with the Order and going to work, most of her time was dedicated to her daughter and her family. The last thing she wanted was her child to grow up while both her parents were away; she deserved far better than that. Hermione deserved a family to watch over her, and to care for her._

 _So her mornings were often filled with watching her brilliant daughter or something else of the sort._

 _Except this morning._

 _This morning was met with waking up to the sounds of the wards going off, instead of the usual muggle alarm clock she had acquired in recent years. This morning was met with her waking up, and realizing the worst had happened._

 _And in that moment, everything had finally made sense to her._

 _Because the Death Eaters had come for her, hoping she could give her information on James and Lily, or Alice and Frank, just as she had feared, despite using a Secret Keeper._

 _Perhaps it had been using a Secret Keeper that had caused this to happen. It didn't exactly take a lot to piece together what had happened. They had known for years that there was a spy in the Order, and all of a sudden the Death Eaters had come, just after appointing Peter as hers?_

 _But out of all the people she could suspect, Peter Pettigrew had been the last she would have suspected, which she supposed was why he was the perfect spy. Written off by others and constantly underestimated._

 _She wished it hadn't been him. Her friend, her confidant, and almost family. She had grown close to Peter over the years, but to have him not care, as he tossed aside their friendship for his Master was heartbreaking._

 _"Marlene" her father said, coming into her room with his wand raised. "Take Hermione to the Grangers for safety. We'll hold them off until then. Just keep her safe."_

 _She nodded, as her father told her to carry out the emergency plan they had implemented. Sure, she could take Hermione to one of her friends, but in that time, who knew what would happen to her parents. It didn't help that the only ones who knew she existed were in hiding, so she wouldn't exactly be able to find them if she tried._

 _She grabbed the box she had set aside, filled with photos, Hermione's birth certificate, and other mementos for Hermione to hold onto, in the case of a worst case scenario._

 _It was terrifying to think about, knowing she might never see her daughter again, but she took a deep breath, there wasn't time for panic, as she could feel the wards coming down one by one._

 _"Hermione," she said, as her daughter ran to her, looking terrified at the sounds._

 _"Mummy," the toddler said, scared, as she wrapped her arms around her tightly._

 _"Hermione, I need you to listen to me carefully. I'm going to take you over to the Granger's house okay? I need you to stay there for me for a bit. I'll come get you when it's safe," she told Hermione soothingly, as she rubbed her daughter softly._

 _Hermione buried her head in her shoulder, and Marlene held her daughter tightly, as she apparated to the Granger's residence._

 _"Marlene," she heard Jean's voice say in surprise as she landed in the middle of their kitchen. Richard had been drinking tea, and spat it out everywhere at her entrance, and Jean looked stunned, "How did you do that."_

 _"I don't have time to explain," Marlene said softly, "There are bad men at my home, and I need the two of you to watch over Hermione until it is safe. And I need you to look out for her, in the case that I do not survive. Please, can you do that for me?"_

 _"Who's at your home?" Richard asked her, confused, "Why not call the police? Marlene, you're not making any sense whatsoever."_

 _"Please," she begged softly, "Please just watch over her."_

 _"Of course we will," Jean said, "But-"_

 _"I need to do something first," Marlene said, "For your safety. I need you to forget who I am, at least until I come back and lift this spell. All you will remember is that you adopted Hermione, and you will remember this box on her eighteenth birthday to give to her. But you won't remember that I visited you, or that magic exists. You won't know of its existence until Hermione gets her letter. But I hope it doesn't come to that. I hope I return and can bring Hermione home."_

 _"What?" Richard questioned, but Marlene, in that moment, pointed her wand at her daughter, and neighbours, and cast a forgetting charm on them._

 _She placed the box in front of her, opening it up once more, as she took out a vial, and dragged her memories of her life, of Remus, and of Hermione, into it. Then carefully, she sealed the box shut. She placed a letter with the address to her home and a key in Richard's had As her daughter was still in a haze, she kissed her child softly on the head, before placing her in Jean's arms, and then proceeding to return to her own home._

 _When she arrived back in Hermione's nursery, she placed the box safely on the dresser, before making her way down the stairs with her wand in her hand. The house was oddly quiet, but the first thing she noticed was not that; it was her mother's body, on the ground, lifeless._

 _"Where are the children?" she heard a growl from behind her. Turning around, she saw Bellatrix Lestrange standing there, looking at her with a dark smile._

 _"McKinnon, I've waited so long to face you again," Travers said, as he walked into the room, with Avery behind him. "It's been a while since school."_

 _"Go to hell," she snarled. "What did you do to my mother?"_

 _"Reunited her with your father," Bellatrix said with an innocent shrug, "She looked so devastated when your father was hit with several dark curses in front of her. I was doing her a favour really. Now tell me, where are the Longbottoms and the Potters hiding?"_

 _"I don't know," Marlene said, furiously. "And even if I did, I couldn't tell you. I'm sure Peter told you all about the Secret Keepers. Unfortunately for you, I am not either of theirs."_

 _"But I suppose you know who is their secret keepers," Travers said, looking pleased. "You are their friend after all."_

 _"I do, but I won't tell you," Marlene said._

 _"You know, while you were gone, I had a chance to look around this home," Bellatrix said, "Lovely family; you, your parents, and_ _ **your daughter.**_ _Hermione, was it? It would be a shame if something happened to her."_

 _"Don't you dare threaten her," Marlene raised her wand, casting a stunning charm._

 _"Feisty," Bellatrix laughed. "Let's go, boys. It's not going to take long to figure out who the Secret Keepers are for Potter and Longbottom, given their friends and family. But take care of her first."_

 _Marlene raised a shield charm, as she cast spells at Bellatrix. Her parents were already dead; it wasn't a long shot to believe that they would do the same to her._

 _"Crucio," Avery cast at her, as her shield was brought down by Travers. She fell to the ground in pain, trying to grab for her wand._

 _She heard a snapping sound, as she saw Travers step on her wand, and breaking it into two, as she held herself, trying not to scream from the pain._

 _"You won't be so lucky this time, McKinnon," Avery said, "Last time you landed in the hospital. This time will send you to your grave. It's such a shame, really. If only you listened to us back in school; you could have been on the right side of things. You could have married rich, and had a pure family. You could have had the life you deserved. But now, you'll die like the scum you are."_

 _She saw the Dark Mark rising over her house after_ Morsmordre _was cast, as she felt another cruciatus curse hit her body._

 _"Goodbye, McKinnon," Avery said, "_ Avada Kadavra."

* * *

" _Protego_ ," Theo said instantly, throwing up a shielding charm to prevent any magic or person from getting through.

"Don't do it," Hermione said, as she could see Theo's hand begin to shake at his friends presence in the room. She knew that if he made a single misstep, and a drop of blood spilled into the potion, they were all done for. If Theo went through with casting the curse, then none of them would stand a chance of making it out alive.

"Why?" Draco asked his friend curiously, with a hurt voice. "Theo, why did you do this? Why are you doing this? We were friends since we were children. We fought in the war together, and confided in each other. We talked about how neither believed in what Voldemort was doing. That no one man should rule, and have that sort of power. Yet here you are, wanting to take over the world. How could you do this to us? After everything we've been through, you were willing to throw away our friendship, to hurt my girlfriend, and you're ready for the world to die for your greed. What happened to you?"

"Was it all a lie?" Blaise asked, wonderingly. "Did you even mean any of the things you said? How long did you know that this was the destiny you thought you deserved and wanted to carry out?"

Theo looked at his friends, and Hermione saw him waver. "It wasn't a lie. I meant what I said and our friendship meant something to me. It doesn't have to end, we can go back to being friends. We can still be as we were before."

"Except now you want to destroy the world," Blaise snorted. "Some friendship that would be."

"I try to avoid being friends with maniacs," Draco said in a cold voice. "Especially those who have both tried to kill, then propositioned my girlfriend in their convoluted attempt to try and rule the world."

"Very well then," Theo said, shrugging slightly, "I offered, and you turned me down. Remember that when you beg me to save your families in the future, when it's your children dying, or your mothers, or your friends; if you even make it that long. Remember how you turned down my friendship like it was trash you were throwing out. Because I sure as hell will. Don't say I didn't warn you or offer you a chance."

His arm firmed up, and Hermione felt her heart race.

"Stop," she said, for the first time since Draco made his presence known. "Theo think about this," she said, taking a step forward, until she was just outside the barrier Theo had put up.

"What are you going to do to stop me?" Theo taunted her. "You lot are stuck out there, whereas I am freely in here. Your spells can't touch me, not can you.

"Morgana never meant to rule as a dictator, like you want to," Hermione said softly reaching out to touch the barrier which separated the two of them. She could feel the resistance, preventing her from going forward, "She wanted to save her people from Arthur. And when she saw a chance to end the war, she tried to take it. She wanted peace. You, on the other hand, just want chaos and power. If you think that there won't be resistance after you cast this curse, you are wrong. People will fight you. Even if we don't make it out of here alive, there will be others, always fighting for freedom and for their lives. You might temporarily have convinced the public that you are a hero, but they'll see right through you, as we have."

"They can try," Theo snarled, "But there will be nothing they can do to stop me."

She could feel the wind swirling around her again, as the presence of magic around her grew stronger. Hermione closed her eyes, and in that moment, she could feel Morgana standing alongside her, and her power flowing through Hermione's veins, mixing with her own.

Her hand curled around the barrier, and she pushed against it. She could feel it vibrate against her fingertips, as it bounced back. She took a deep breath, and she pushed against it again.

To her surprise, she was met with far less resistance, as her hand pushed past the barrier.

"How?" Theo asked in a whisper, as she kept pushing through, until her entire body had made it through the shielding charm.

Hermione could feel the adrenaline flowing through her blood, as her heart raced.

"Stop," Theo said warningly, "All I need to do is allow a single drop of blood into this potion, and then nothing you do can stop me. Don't push me, Hermione Le Fay. You might think you are the most brilliant witch to have lived in decades, but you are nothing against me. You have no idea the things I've done to learn the truth of your identity. Do you honestly think the Grangers died in a car accident? Do think it was that simple? That painless? Because if you think that, you are mistaken. You underestimate how easy it is to confound a few muggles into thinking that a cause of death from torture was the result of a car crash. You see, I had to know for sure. I traced the line of Morgana to your mother, but I could not connect her to you, not with all the lack of proof that you even existed as her daughter. I needed your parents' memory of your mother bringing you to them, and begging them to care for you whilst she went and died at the hands of Death Eaters. So do not think that I am not capable of hurting you. You will not win this battle, nor the war. Do not push me."

"Hermione," She could hear Draco's voice worriedly say, as he stepped up to the barrier, attempting to push through it as she had.

She could feel her heart pounding at the revelation that her parents had died because of her. That despite placing a memory charm on them, and sending them off to Australia to keep them safe, they had still died because of her. All because Theo needed to know that Marlene McKinnon was her mother.

"I think you'll find that it's you who shouldn't push me," Hermione said, angrily, "You killed my parents over the need to know who my biological mother was. You didn't need to kill them. You could have wiped their memory afterwards. They didn't need to die, for your greed."

" _Crucio_ ," Theo shouted at her, as he aimed his wand centred at her chest. She held her head up high, prepared to be hit with the excruciating pain she had felt before, but it never came.

Theo looked shocked, as his spell bounced straight off of her.

She felt stunned, at the fact that she wasn't in pain, but she refused to let him see it as he pushed forward, and kept walking.

"Hermione!" Draco yelled, as he hit the walls of the barrier spell repeatedly.

" _Stupefy_!" Theo yelled, " _Baubillious_! _Incendio_! _Confringo_!"

But one by one, the charms continued to bounce straight off of her.

She supposed there were probably some charms in place by Morgana to prevent her blood and family from being harmed at the castle. She had been raising a child here after all; it was a safe guess that she wouldn't want anything to happen to said child, meaning that Hermione was protected from Theo's spells.

She felt her magic growing stronger, despite not having a wand on her. She started chanting the counter-curse which had failed the prior time, hoping that this time her own blood would be enough to break the curse. Because the only way to stop Theo would be to use her own spell before it was too late.

"Fine," Theo spat out, "You forget, Hermione, that I still have the blood on me. That you can come as close as you want to me but you have no wand. All I need is to drop my blood into this cauldron. I had hoped that we could work together, but clearly I was wrong." And with that, Theo opened his hand up, and she could see the blood that had been flowing from the cut in his hand, begin to drop down to the potion.

A wand was just a tool to channel one's magic through. It was just an object. It did not give the witch or wizard powers.

So she raised her right arm up, palm facing the cauldron, as she closed her eyes, and channelled her magic through when she was done, she knew the potion needed to vanish before Theo's blood could reach it.

" _Evanesco_!" she said, as she felt the magic flow through her body and out her arm, as the spell headed straight for the cauldron.

She held her breath, hoping it would work, as time around her felt like it had stopped.

She could feel the others watching too, as her magic hit the cauldron, sending a ring of magic from it, and sweeping past the castle, and out to England. The cauldron vanished from the room, as the ground began to shake and she fell to the ground.

She looked up to see Theo's blood come crashing to the ground, as it's intended target was long gone. And with only her blood in the potion, and her magic activating it, the old curse was broken, leaving no new curse in its wake.

She felt herself breathe again, as she realized what it had meant; the curse was broken.

Which Theo seemed to have realized, by the anger written on his face, "Do you think you've won? The curse may be broken, but the world thinks it was me who brought you here to break it. They will support me when I go back to the Ministry. They'll think a corrupt government is trying to keep me prisoner for revealing the truth to them. I might not have cast the curse yet, but I'll still win this war."

"Except for one fact," Draco said, stepping forward, past the fallen shield charm. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a shrunken down recording station which she recognized as what the twins had used during the war for Potterwatch. "I've been broadcasting everything that's happened here live, to the wizarding world. I started recording before we left, telling the public to listen so they would know the truth. They know all of how you manipulated them, how you've killed and tortured, and how you wanted to rule the country. I think you'll find yourself lacking in supporters, Theo." He gave his friend one last look before turning to Harry and Ron, "Take him away from here. He's done enough damage for one day."

She saw Draco make his way to her, as he helped her off the ground, and held her tightly.

"Hermione," he said softly, "I'm glad you're okay. I was so worried about you."

She held him his face as she looked into his eyes, "I'm fine," she said, voice shaking slightly.

He nodded at her, as he looked her over quickly, to check for any bruises or cuts.

She felt the presence around her again and she looked out over the courtyard.

 _'Thank you_ ,' she heard the wind whisper, before vanishing, and the presence was gone.

"Let's get you home," Draco said, brushing a curl out of her face. She leaned into him, as she felt herself feel relief for the first time in ages.

Theo had failed, and it was finally over.

* * *

 **A/N** : I've had so much fun writing this story, but once again, another adventure is coming to an end. There's still an epilogue to tie together any lose ends, but the story is coming to a close. I knew Marlene had to die, for it to fit into the story, but it still was hard to write her death. But for now, see you next week!


	35. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

 ** _October 1999_**

 _Hermione took a deep breath as her new found father looked over at her carefully._

 _"How are you so okay with all of this?" she asked him in wonder, as he placed an arm around her. "You just found out you have a daughter who is an adult, and you've known for the better part of her teenage years. How are you so calm about this?"_

 _"I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a bit strange," Remus admitted to her, "To find out that after all these years, a part of my first love is still here. Hermione, I regret every moment of going on that mission all those years ago. I needed to feel like I was contributing, and in a way, that selfishness placed all my friends in danger. I lost their trust, and they lost their lives. James and Lily trusted Peter because they knew I would suspect Sirius as their secret keeper. Marlene had you and raised you in secret because she lost trust in those around her when they stopped trusting me. Hell, if I never went on that mission, maybe I could have protected her when they came for her. It could have made it a fair fight. I could have known about you, and raised you, Hermione. All the 'what ifs' have been circling my mind for years."_

 _"Are you sure you want to see these?" she asked, holding up the vial of memories in her hand, which had belonged to her mother. Memories of things Remus had probably been a part of, and memories of thing he missed._

 _"I do," Remus said softly, "I need to know the truth of what happened after I left."_

 _Hermione took a deep breath as she poured the memories into the pensive in front of them. She looked over at Remus._

 _She closed her eyes, as she submerged herself into the memories around her._

 _As one memory faded from the next, she watched her mother grow over the years; a woman she had barely known of in days before. She watched her mother and her friends as went through school. She watched as Marlene McKinnon fell slowly over the years, more and more in love with Remus. She saw them get together, fight, make up, while the war grew outside their doorsteps. She watched as her mother graduated from Hogwarts, and go off into the real world. She saw Remus struggling to find his place, and as the war cost them friends and family. She watched Remus leave, and at that moment, her father's face had paled, as he realized that it was their last night together which resulted in Hermione's conception. She watched as Marlene fell out of contact with her friends, hiding in the muggle world to protect her._

 _She watched as Marlene entrusted in Peter Pettigrew, one of the few friends she had been in contact with, to be her secret keeper. She watched as the Death Eaters came, and Marlene struggled to hide Hermione._

 _She didn't see her mother's death, but it wasn't hard to piece together that when she returned back to the house, she fought, but had ultimately died._

 _And when she emerged from the pensive, there were tears streaming down her face for this woman she had just met, and would never get to know again._

 _"Hermione," Remus said softly, as he pulled her into his arms. She knew he was affected too by the memories, and it had been hard on him to see the woman he loved fall while he was off on some mission or the other which he had deemed to be important._

 _"I wish I had gotten to know her," she said softly, wiping her tears. Because in the last few days, she had lost three parents all at once, and it hurt knowing she would never get to see any of them again._

 _"I know," Remus said as he rubbed her back. "She would have loved who you've become, Hermione. She loved you so much, and there's nothing anyone can say to change that. You don't have to be alone, you still have family. You still have the Weasleys, Harry, Sirius, and you have me. I'm not going to leave you, not when I just found out you exist. You have people who love you still."_

 _She nodded as she leaned into her father, as the exhaustion of the last several days began to set in._

 _"Let's get you home," Remus told her, "Sleep. We can talk about it more in the morning."_

* * *

Hermione took a deep breath as she looked at herself in the mirror. It had been two months since they had faced Theo at Morgana's castle and broken the curse. And in those two months, Theo had been locked up in Azkaban, this time in a cell with no windows, and a door that could not be easily slipped out of.

The wizarding world of course knew all about what had happened at the castle, thanks to Draco broadcasting the confrontation to the entire wizarding world.

"You look radiant, Hermione," Narcissa said as she stood behind Hermione in the mirror, placing her hands on her shoulders.

"Thank you," Hermione said to her soon to be mother-in-law. She wasn't sure there was even a point in getting married, what when she and Draco had already bonded earlier. She had all but moved in with him in recent weeks, and the two of them, despite not working together anymore, still made a point to meet up for lunch, or to go for walks during their breaks, whenever they could. And she loved living with him.

But if the two of them were basically married, did they really need to? Or so Ron had made a point of asking when she showed both him and Harry the engagement ring.

They might have been bonded, but she still wanted a ceremony, even if the Grangers or Marlene couldn't be here today. She had grown closer to Narcissa however, while the two of them, along with Draco, planned the wedding.

"Thank you, Narcissa," she said as she turned to face the woman.

"Hermione, are you ready?" Remus asked, knocking on the door before entering, "They're ready for you downstairs."

She smiled at her father, looking at him brightly.

"You look so radiant," Remus said as he kissed her forehead lightly, "So much like your mother. So lovely. I know she would be so proud of the woman you've become. And she would have loved Draco."

"Thank you," she said, swallowing lightly. "I'm ready. I'm ready to get married."

Remus nodded, as he extended his arm to hers, and she slipped hers through it. As they made their way down the stairs of the Gryffindor tower, and down to the Black Lake.

She supposed she could have gotten married anywhere, but she had always felt so at home at the school. It just felt right to get married there. She had been nervous bringing up the idea to Draco, but when she had, he had simply cupped her face and told her that they could married at the bottom of the lake if it were what she wanted. And that he thought it was a bit poetic, getting married at the place they had met, where they avoided each other like the plague, but come together to spend the rest of their lives together.

And when she stood at the beginning of the aisle, ready to start the next chapter of her life, as her father stood by her side.

The music began to play, and she began to make her way down the aisle, as she spotted Draco standing with Blaise and Bill on his side. She supposed she should have matched her bridesmaids with his, but Harry and Ron had been her friends for so long, that it felt wrong not to have them by her side. She had, however give the role of maid of honour to Ginny.

She saw Draco look at her and swallow hard, as she smiled at him. She could feel his heart beating loudly, with the rush of emotions in him, which echoed through her equally.

"Hermione," he said softly, as she met him at the end of the aisle, joining her own hands through his. "You look amazing."

"We have gathered here today," Kinglsey said, as he looked at both of them with a smile, "to join Hermione Jean Lupin and Draco Malfoy in matrimony. These two individuals have fought battle after battle both against and with each other, to end up where they are today, and it is not a surprise to any of us who know them well enough, that they have decided to join each other in marriage."

"Hermione," Draco said, as he started his vows. "From the moment I saw you, I wanted to hate you. I wanted to hate you, because of how much I was in awe of you. You were everything I always wanted to be, brilliant, smart, witty, and kind, and you always fought for what you believed in, no matter how rough the battle may have been. But I fell for you, even when we were back at school. I didn't know it back then, that you were the one for me, but I loved you nonetheless. And I promise you, that I will love you for every day that we spend together."

She felt herself unable to breath, as a rogue tear slipped down her face. Her fiancé smiled softly, as he released one of her hands from his, to wipe it away, before taking her hand back into his.

"Draco Malfoy, you were the biggest git I've ever known. And back at school, I hated you. But more than anything, I wanted to punch you on more than one occasion, and once I actually did," she said, pausing there, as the crowd laughed. "But you changed since then, we all did. And the man you are today is one I am so in love with, one I couldn't imagine my life without. You've changed my life so much, since I've met you, and I want nothing more than to continue to love you every day for the rest of my life."

Draco grinned at her, and she felt her heart beat faster slightly at that. Not many people knew the truth of their relationship and their bond, but she had trusted all of those in the room to their secret. The guests were their friends and family, and most of them had known her secret before hand anyways.

She looked around the room, at all the people who had come out to support them, her heart feeling like she would explode.

She could see Ron grinning at Luna, who was in the audience wearing flowery pale pink robes. While the couple were still in fairly early stages of their relationship, despite being together for several months already, she knew that the two of them were meant to be. Luna's _quirkiness_ had a way of meshing with Ron's personality, and the two of them appeared to be happier than she had seen either of them.

Harry and Ginny, on the other hand, despite being right beside each other, were holding hands throughout the ceremony. He had proposed to his childhood sweetheart a month ago, after finally working up the courage and planning for months how he wanted to do it. He had settle for taking her out to the Quidditch pitch of her team, lighting the entire field with floating candles, and getting down onto one knee to pop the question.

McGonagall was sniffling, as she tried to cover her tears, and Molly didn't even try to hide it. Remus had joined Sirius, Narcissa, Andromeda, and his wife, while Teddy sat beside Victorie Weasley, holding her hand. While it hadn't been easy for the Narcissa to rejoin her estranged family due to all of their history, they had slowly been moving past all of their differences. It certainly helped that their family had become far more intertwined with Hermione and Draco getting married, as the wedding had brought them closer together. And while Tonks wasn't a mother figure to her, she had become a close friend.

Bill was smiling at the two of them, with his arm around his once again pregnant wife, as he had recovered within a few days once the curse had been broken. Hermione had been worried about it, and had all but insisted on rushing back to their co-worker's side as soon as the curse had broken to see if he was alright.

And it was like that with the majority of the population; those who had been infected in the current stage of the curse, were still in early stages of the illness, and as a result recovered rather quickly. It didn't help those who had already been lost; there was no way to bring back the dead, despite how badly one may have wanted to for whatever reason or the other.

The public had been confused after the curse was broken. For so long they had no idea such a curse existed, and when they had finally been informed by Theo, they had given him their support. And later, Hermione listened to a copy of the broadcast of what had occurred, she could see why the public was conflicted. Theo had told them the truth, but lied about his intentions to manipulate them. And after Voldemort, who had done so much damage himself, they didn't know who to trust. In an effort to regain public trust, Kingsley had released all information pertaining to the curse, shy of how it was actually cast. It seemed to be helping, as the public seemed to finally be understanding what was happening.

Not that it helped Theo in any way. If anything, it had only given Wizengamot ample evidence that Theodore Nott was guilty of attempted murder, use of an Unforgiveable curse, the murder of her parents, and trying to enact a dark curse to result in death. There wasn't exactly a formal charge for the last one, but it was enough to hold and ensure that Theo's wand was snapped, and he was locked in solitary for the remainder of his life.

It had been hard on both Blaise and Draco; they had been friends with the man for the better part of their lives, but he had betrayed them both. She was thankful they had each other however, as they were able to help grieve their loss and move forward.

Kinglsey took his wand out of his robes, as he said, "Then I declare you bonded for life," he said, smiling at the two of them. He lifted his wand in his hand, showering the couple with a stream of stars. Draco grinned at her at that, as he scooped her up into his arms.

"Hello, Mrs. Malfoy," he said with a smile, as his lips came down to meet hers.

Hermione smiled, as she kissed back her new husband, feeling a spark as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her lips met his, and she wanted nothing more than for this moment to last forever. The happiness she felt, being with him, knowing he was hers and she was his, for the rest of their lives.

She wished her adoptive parents could have been here. They might not have been her biological parents, but they had raised her, loved her, and cared for her. She had always thought they would be here, whenever she thought of getting married. She wished Marlene could have been here too, and her heart hurt as she pained for a mother she couldn't remember, and would never have.

The war had cost her a lot, but she was still grateful for the fact that she still had family who loved her and cared for her.

But in this moment, she was Mrs. Malfoy, and she was surrounded by her friends and family.

* * *

Years later, as she found herself back on the platform 9 and ¾ as her youngest daughter, Lyra, was about to board for the first time, alongside her oldest, Scorpius, and middle child, Cassiopeia, she found herself thinking back to the day when she stood there herself for the first time, and how much her life had changed since then.

Draco wrapped her arms around her, in that moment, as he did so often throughout their lives together, and she leaned into him, as she watched Lyra and Lily Potter talk to each other, nervously trying to figure out what houses they would be in, as Hugo Weasley tried to convince Mia Zabini that when she started school, they would still be friends, despite the fact that she was an obviously Slytherin and he a Gryffindor.

Scorpius, on the other hand, was going into his fifth year of school, and didn't seem at all worried for his OWLs, but rather, seemed to be busy flirting with Dominique Weasley, Bill's middle daughter, who was giggling in return. The couple had all but grown up together, what with Draco and Bill as co-workers.

Her own career had blown up, over the years. She had gone from working as an Unspeakable, to the head of the Department of Mysteries, before eventually deciding to run for Ministry of Magic when Kingsley retired. She knew that she would be able to help far more people by running for the position, and Draco had stood by her side as she did so.

"Look," Draco whispered into her ear, as he gestured in the direction of Cassie, who had been standing close to James Potter. Despite him being a full two years older than her third year self, his hand was discretely slipped into hers, as she chatted with the other Weasley children. She smiled brightly at that, and despite none of her children being of age for their veela genes to activate, she couldn't help but wonder if two of her three children had found their mates already, or if it was just a childhood crush.

She pulled away from her husband, as the train whistled, and her children began to gather their things up.

"I'll write to you every week," Hermione promised, as she kissed Lyra on the cheek. "You're going to have a great time at school, so don't worry too much. And anytime you want to come home, Professor Longbottom or Headmistress McGongall will floo you home."

She hugged each of her children, "I love you," she told them as Scorpius looked a little off out by the show of emotions, but hugged her back, Cassiopeia smiled as she promised to take care of her little sister, and Lyra looked like she was a mixture of terrified and excited.

"They're going to be fine," Draco told her, as the train took off, leaving them with the other parents as their youngest child left home for school.

"I know," she said softly, as Remus and Tonks approached them. Her brother, Teddy had just finished school, but her father wanted to be there to see off his grandchildren. It certainly helped that Teddy was eager to see his girlfriend off for her final year.

Her life had calmed significantly over the last decade and a bit. Despite her childhood and early adulthood of people constantly trying to hurt those she loved, the wizarding world had come together, and stood strongly as they grew together, and healed.

She still felt all the memories of the past, of her mother, of Morgana, and of all the family she had never known, and never would know. But she was surrounded by those she loved, and there was not a day she wished her life would turn out differently.

She loved her father and Tonks. She loved her husband, and their children. And she loved Harry and Ron, and how the years had not torn them apart.

It was a Wednesday when her children all left to go to school together, and there was not a thing she would have changed.

* * *

 **A/N** : Thank you all so much for following me on this journey. I had so much fun writing this story. I plan on taking a small break to plan out my next story. Once again, thank you so much for the reviews; I loved reading your reviews every step of the way, and hearing your reactions. See you soon!


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